


The Darkness Brought Me to You

by Amavirra



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon only until Roadside Attraction, F/F, Hope this will as dramatic as it was in my head, I"M GONNA BREAK GREG AND DIPPERS HEARTS, M/M, Mabifica will come later, Not Beta Read, Post-Series, Sexual Content later on, You've been warned, sorry - Freeform, there will be blood - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-04 07:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 81,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4129507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amavirra/pseuds/Amavirra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Previously titled The Disappearance of a Soul) <br/>After a four year friendship, Wirt finally decides to visit Gravity Falls with his best friend Dipper and his sister Mabel.  Dipper is happy because he thinks he may finally get somewhere further with his best friend (and crush).<br/>When everything seems like its finally going right for Wirt, though, a certain creature makes an appearance; a creature Wirt had previously thought he would never have to encounter again.</p><p>And now, he's dragged Dipper into something he'd hoped to keep secret for the rest of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ  
> I'm not the best writer, and I write for fun only. aND BECAUSE I SHIP PINESCONE SO HARD IT HURTS  
> Please, bear with me, the first two chapters aren't the best. I promise it picks up after that, though.  
> I'M CANADIAN so please pardon my lack of knowledge of the U.S. of A. Also don't get mad at the way I spell things plz.

**Chapter One**

Leaving home for the summer with his best friend sounded like the coolest thing he would ever do, really.

He’s never really had a close enough friend that he would be willing to take off with for two months. Although, he still had needed a good kick in the pants in order to agree.

Dipper had asked him a few years prior if he wanted to go to Gravity Falls, and he only refused because his family already had plans. Dipper had looked so disappointed, that Wirt promised he would go the next summer. He really liked Dipper and it had actually hurt a little to see his friend so sad.

In the end, though, he did not go the next summer. He wasn’t brave enough. Dipper told him about all the amazing things they did or could do when visiting they’re uncle. And truly, Wirt was genuinely curious about the goings on in Gravity Falls, but life could be a cruel joke sometimes.

Earlier that year would be when he and Greg had found themselves in . . . in the Unknown, dying.

Suddenly, everything he heard, everything Dipper had told him and he once found fascinating, sounded like nightmares come to life.

Wirt tried to forget the bad parts with his feelings for Sara. After all, a little tape he had created for her was the reason he and Greg had ended up in that lake in the first place. They sat in his room and finally listened to his tape.

She loved it, and they dated for a month or so, but it didn’t feel right. Every time they held hands, or kissed, Wirt found himself thinking of someone else.They had a mutual separation when Sara informed him that, she too, felt like they just didn’t have much romantic chemistry.

After that is when Wirt started to notice how things seemed to change when he was with his best friend. Dipper was an instant mood changer; he felt happier, calmer, and generally felt like he was having more fun with him. There was also that horrible feeling he would get when Dipper would talk so fondly about this girl Wendy. This jealousy was the stepping stone to the realization.

He was crushing on his closest friend.

He would catch himself thinking about him during the day, and just before bed, too. Dipper invaded his thoughts when he was trying to focus on basically anything. He could hear his laughter in his dreams. And the poems he wrote for Dipper. . . Honestly, he was slightly appalled with himself for falling so hard in such a short period of time.

Regardless, Wirt was not going to tell Dipper any of this!

And he didn’t. It was now the summer of their senior year, their graduation had taken place the day before, and they were finally free.

Wirt knew Dipper would be going to College or University, as was he. There was a high chance that once they were separated, they might lose contact as time goes on. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to handle something like that. He couldn’t let a three year crush just fall apart like that.

So, two months after New Year’s, Wirt approached Dipper and asked “ _So visiting your uncle with you, is that offer still open_?”

And with the biggest smile, Dipper replied eagerly, “ _Yes, absolutely!_ ”  Which, now that he thought about, was slightly strange, but he brushed it off.

The arrangements had been made in early April, with lots of persuading on Dippers part. When Wirts mother and step-dad spoke with Stan Pines, to make sure Wirt would be in good hands, he’d made it very difficult for them to feel good about leaving Wirt with him. Stan, as usual, spoke his mind and was very blunt about everything, which of course brought a great amount a distress to them. He tried to slip in that he was eighteen and that he’d be fine, but his mother was having none of that. Dipper had to step in and explain their great uncle was just very in-tune with his comedic side and that most of what comes out of his mouth is pure bull anyway.

His half-brother, Greg, had been pretty upset that Wirt was leaving. Wirt watched him beg and beg to be given permission to go with him to Gravity Falls. Sadly, Greg was only ten, so the chance of their parents letting their ten year old travel across the country without them was terribly low.

He tried to tell Greg that he would have plenty of fun without him there.

Greg had frowned pretty deeply; Wirt knew why.

His brother was not upset about being stuck at home.

Ever since that day in The Unknown, Greg had promised he would protect Wirt from anything. How was he supposed to do that if they were an entire continent apart? What if he got lost again? What if he got hurt? Wirt knew that Greg felt responsible for his well-being, which he thought was silly for a nine year old.

Poor Greg had spent the first two months after the incident crawling into Wirts bed and checking that his brother hadn’t turned into a tree in his sleep. Even going as far as ripping the sheets back to make sure there were no roots or branches anywhere. Sometimes, Greg would just sleep with Wirt throughout the entire night. He had to make sure Wirt would wake in the morning.

Their parents didn’t know any of this, of course.

This isn’t to say Wirt hadn’t been affected by the events in limbo. He’d had his fair share of nightmares, waking in terror and covered in sweat. He dreamt of Beatrice, and Endicott, and Lorna. They were all dead, and his dreams would run rampant, going through every possible way that his friends could have died, even the most gruesome possibilities.

And Greg didn’t know it, but Wirt would check that his little brother was breathing through the night and that his heart beat was fine. He still checked every night. . .

Just before getting in the taxi that would take him to the Pines residence, then to the airport, Wirt turned to his family. Then down at his brother, “ _Greg –_ ”

“ _You have to promise you won’t get hurt!_ ”

“ _I won’t get hurt, Greg. Everything will be fine._ ”

“ _Is that a rock fact?_ ” Greg mumbled.

“ _Yeah . . ._ ” His voice cracked slightly. “ _I’ll be with Dipper, after all. You like Dipper, right?_ ”

Greg had nodded slowly then threw his arms around Wirt in a desperate hug. “ _I love you_ ”

“ _I love you, too_ ” He chuckled.

He stood as his mother then took her turn in hugging him, “ _Text me as often as possible, honey_ ”

“ _And don’t go ending up in the hospital out there, we won’t exactly be able to just drop everything and fly out to you_ ” He smiled at his step-dad and gave him the most awkward, one-armed hug,

“ _Gonna miss you, too_ ”

When the door to the taxi was finally closed, the cab was off almost immediately. Wirt turned in his seat and looked out the back window, where he saw Greg waving frantically to him. He gave a quick wave and sighed.

In less than six hours, he’d be in Gravity Falls.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Saying Dipper was excited was definitely an understatement.

He and Mabel were on the rickety, mostly empty, bus on their way to Gravity Falls, Oregon again this summer. This would be their fifth summer in that tiny, mystery filled town. Going to stay with their Grunkle Stan, as usual. They would see all their old friends, but that wasn’t what had Dipper so excited.

This year was different, because his best friend, Wirt, was going as well. Well, not just going; he was _here with him_.

When Wirt showed up at his locker that morning in March and asked if he could go to Oregon with him, he thought his heart was going to explode. He wasn’t sure he’d heard him clearly, but he wasted no time in telling Wirt that he could come. Honestly, he’d been hoping for this for three years!

.

Wirt and Dipper formed a friendship when he and Mabel started in their first year of high school when they were fourteen.

The twins had just moved to Massachusetts in time for the new school year. Stan had even flown the country for a weekend to help with the moving process. He, of course, made sure the two of them would continue to visit him in Oregon, regardless of the added space between them.

School started soon after that, and Mabel was ecstatic to make new friends. Dipper, not so much.

Although, meeting Wirt the first day certainly made it easier to adapt to his new life. They shared band class and with Dipper’s slightly above average intelligence, they also shared some other classes. Their first meeting was sparked when Wirt caught Dipper watching him practice his clarinet, which then prompted Dipper to share the fact that he played the sousaphone . . . on occasion.

When they saw each other again in band class, Wirt laughed and said quietly; “ _On occasion, eh?_ ” They’d been friends ever since.

.

Mabel was sitting with her back against the window, and legs along her own seat while she was knitting another sweater for herself. It was amazing how she could even do something so meticulous on a bus that was vibrating like an earthquake. Even so, Dipper didn’t question such abilities.

She’d finally adapted a more form fitting type of sweater to knit for herself. The turtle necks were reserved for the colder months and she didn’t wear skirts 24/7 anymore, either.

Her hair was only just longer than her shoulders, and she started wearing bandanas, as well as her trademark hair bands.

Of course, the braces were gone too. Her teeth were pearly white and straight as a board.

Yep, she’d really grown up. At least, as much as a _Mabel_ could.

Dipper smiled and turned his head towards the seat beside him, where Wirt was currently sitting. Wirt was biting his lip and wringing his hands in his lap, staring out the window. Clearly he was nervous about something.

Dipper bumped Wirts shoulder lightly and said “What’s up?”

“U-uh, nothing,” he replied quietly.

“Is this your first time away from home?” he teased.

In turn, Wirt pushed back on his shoulder and laughed, “What am I? Twelve?”

This resulted in a shoving war between the two teens. Laughter echoed through the empty cabin, until the driver yelled for them to ‘shut their holes and sit down’.

Mabel looked up from her work and began giggling at her brother, “You got in trouble”

“Grow up”

“Make me” Scratch that; she hadn’t grown up at all.

Dipper shook his head with a sigh; he knew it was pointless to argue with Mabel over something so dumb. She always had the upper hand in those situations anyway.

“Seriously though, Massachusetts is hella far from Oregon. You gonna be okay for two months?”

“I’ll find some way to manage, Dip” He chuckled.

Dipper couldn’t help but smile at the nickname. It had taken him literally their entire high school life to get Wirt to call him by any sort of nickname. Wirt was just so shy, or least he was. God, he would hope after being friends for four years Wirt would be comfortable with him. It sort of sucked that he really didn’t have a nickname for Wirt, though.

His thoughts were cut short when the bus jerked forward somewhat, and Mabel squealed and jumped to feet before the bus was even fully stopped. Dipper chuckled when she lost her balance. She clearly didn’t notice because he was certain he heard her say something about Waddles, her pig.

The bus station could be seen just outside the windows. It was quiet and it looked deserted, but Dipper knew better. After all, he’s been here every summer for six years.

“O-okay, we’re here. Great. Yup”

Dipper looked back at Wirt once more. He looked even worse now than he did on the way there. What was wrong with him? He decided it could wait until Wirt was settled and comfortable. Besides, he could see Grunkle Stan hugging Mabel awkwardly outside the bus. She probably latched onto him without any warning.

“Well, let’s get our shit and shove off, before the driver tries to leave with us on board” He laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. Wirt smiled weakly and gave him a sideways glance. _Good enough for now_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about how bad this chapter is . . .  
> They get better, and much longer, I promise


	3. Chapter Three

Wirt really had to let the sign saying ‘Welcome to Gravity Falls’ sink in.

This may not have been the best idea.

Now that they were here, Wirt could feel his anxiety levels rising. His hands were getting sweaty and his heart was pounding faster and faster.

He was in Gravity Falls! Land and home of the many monsters Dipper spoke of. Seriously, this wasn’t the Unknown, where you only saw the spectres through death or near death experiences. Gravity Falls was real.

_Come on, Wirt! People live here, for God sake!_ He mentally scolded. That’s right, some people had been living here since the day they were born. Also, Dipper and Mabel had been there many times and nothing bad seemed to have happened to them. You know, for the most part.

He had seen some of the scars on Dippers body . . .

Speaking of Dipper; how was he going to handle being with his crush day-in and day-out for two months? Sure, he saw Dipper regularly during the school year, but that was different! Before, schooling took up a good chunk of their time together, what with the homework, the band practices, and the few times they would study together.

Out here, they would have to occupy themselves with other things. That was a lot of alone time, _Oh no._

“Wirt?”

He looked up tentatively, and met Dippers eyes. His eyes were full of concern, and Wirt had to tear his own eyes away.  
T

hey both looked over to the window when Mabel knocked on it, “What’s the hold up?” Her voice was muffled by the glass between them as she spoke.

“Are you sure, you’re okay?” Dipper asked again.

“ . . . No” He finally admitted.  
.  
Wirt stepped off the bus with a ‘huff’, arms full of overly stuffed suitcases. Dipper laughed at him and he fought with himself to keep from going red in the face. Dipper laugh was just so pleasant. “Shut up, man” _Oh God, that was really casual._

Dipper just laughed again and moved past him to join his sister in greeting who he hoped was their ‘Grunkle’, or so they called him. Otherwise, you know, that’d be really weird.

The guy was probably the same height as himself, and he definitely had a ‘five-o-clock shadow’. He was wearing a fez and a really nice black suit. In his hand, he was holding a cane with a billiards ball, the ‘eight ball’ to be exact, at the top which looked like it was thrown on with a bit of hot glue.

“Hey, kid, you still getting taller? Puberty just won’t let go, eh?”

Dipper dropped all of the bags he had been carrying, and rubbed at his shoulder. “That’s really embarrassing, thank you” He grumbled. Wirt saw how Dipper smiled through the grumble anyway, “So, this is Wirt, my best friend –”

“This is the friend,” Mabel leaned in to their uncle. Stan let out a hearty laugh.

“MABEL”

He must have missed something.

In that moment, he couldn’t help but feel insecure about himself. Dipper had told his uncle about him. _Well, of course he has. Their uncle wouldn’t just let some stranger stay in his home._ But, did he do something dumb? Stan and Mabel seemed to think the thought of him was amusing.  
And Dipper wouldn’t look at him. Oh God, did Dipper tell Stan about his tendency to not notice he was wearing two different shoes. Was he wearing mismatched shoes right now? Did he –

He thought his heart would stop when Stan’s massive hand clapped him on the shoulder without warning, “Good to finally meet ya, kid”

Wirt chuckled nervously, “N-nice to meet you too, Mr. Pines”

“Good God, no need to be so formal!”

Wirt searched for some way to respond, but in the end he simply answered with a pathetic, “Alright” He looked to Dipper to save him from the situation, but Dipper was too busy scowling at Mabel and punching her in the arm. Mabel just continued to smile and laugh.

“Don’t worry, I’ll beat that kinda talk right outta ya”

“W-wait, what?”

“I’m joking, kid,” Stan glanced away suspiciously “Maybe”

“Okay, I’m sure my friend would like to get back to the shack and get settled in. God knows I do” Dipper finally said. Wirt tried not to make his breath of relief too obvious.

Dipper swiftly grabbed his wrist and started pulling them and what luggage they were still holding onto towards a horribly decrepit red car. He didn’t even notice it first, what with being occupied in trying not to make a bad impression on the man who would be giving him a place to stay for two months.

“Sorry, I should have warned you a little more about him,” Dipper grumbled as he snatched his suitcase from the ground to toss it in the, now open, trunk. Wirt relinquished it without any hassle and wondered if he should help Dipper fill the trunk or not. He seemed to be doing it fairly quickly, but at the same time, he was looking sort of flustered. “Hope he doesn’t scare you away or anything”

“No, it’s fine. I mean, he did kind of scare me, but - I mean,” _Wow, really Wirt?_ “I guess I’ll get used to it. It could be fun?” If Dipper hadn’t been right there, he would have slapped himself in the face.

Dipper scrunched his nose in amusement, “Yeah, we’ll see. It’s really hit or miss with him.”

From behind, Wirt could hear Mabel and Mr. Pines approaching.

“So, you do have room for a third person’s baggage, right?” Mabel asked.

“I dunno, hun. I can barely handle the two of you and all the teenage drama you drag into my house.”

Wirt bit his lip, trying to keep from laughing. He ultimately failed and burst out with a quick, but loud, bark of laughter. He covered his mouth in a hurry and risked a glance towards Dipper.

Dipper had his head leaned back towards the sky and was groaning loudly. Wirt could‘ve sworn he could feel his friend’s embitterment emanating from him in that very moment. It was pretty funny. Not that he found his best friends suffering amusing in any way.

Okay, maybe he did. That probably stems from the many times Dipper had laughed at all of his suffering. He cracked jokes when he noticed him fumbling around like a dork, or, you know, when he was wearing two different shoes. Like best friends do.

It was just refreshing that he got to laugh a Dipper for once.

Mabel cackled, much to her brothers chagrin, “I meant room in your car, Grunkle Stan”

“Oh,” He paused, “Yeah, I think I do” Mr. Pines strode over to the car and began shoving the remaining bags into the trunk with abandon. He piled them in much faster than Dipper had, but definitely with a lot less care. Wirt was thankful that most of those bags were filled with clothing only. Anything of importance would have been destroyed, most likely. That’s why Wirt was keeping his clarinet and case on his person.

Mr. Pines looked at the case and then to Wirt, lifting his arm and pointing at the gargantuan heap of bags. Wirt pieced together that he was silently asking if he wanted his clarinet in the trunk as well.

Wirt shook his head, “No, it’s fine. I’ll carry this myself”

Mr. Pines shrugged and slammed down the hatch, “Alright, pile in”

“SHOT GUN” Mabel screamed.

Both he and Dipper watched Mabel throw herself into the front seat, and he smiled fondly. Mabel was quite the eccentric, not letting her age change who she was. Or at least, that’s how he saw it.  
.  
Once the car had left the station, everyone calmed down a bit, but they were still pretty joyful. Dipper and Mabel informed Stan on all the little details concerning their school year, and what they thought they could do together this summer. Of course, they made it perfectly clear to him that Wirt was to be considered part of the family during his stay. He tried to tell them that he didn’t need to be treated like anything more than a guest, but they were having none of that. It was really refreshing.

Mr. Pines tried to start conversations with Wirt every once in a while, but it was just so awkward. Repeatedly, Mr. Pines called him ‘wart’ and Dipper would correct him before mouthing a ‘sorry’ in his direction. He’d referred to his clarinet as a flute at least twice and he was sure Mr. Pines tried to make full eye contact with him through the rear view mirror for the majority of the drive. Slightly worrying considering his full attention should be ON THE ROAD.

“So, Grunkle Stan, how has Waddles been doing?” Mabel cut in.

When Mr. Pines began to answer, Wirt tuned them out, thankful that Mr. Pines was no longer so fixated on burning holes in his face from the mirror.

The world outside the window consisted of mostly trees. All around, he could see shades upon shades of green and brown. Pines trees, oak trees, the occasional birch; they towered above the world below. They created a canopy that shadowed the paths, making the road they rode on the brightest spot for miles in every direction, the only thing that light touched. It was fairly beautiful, and he could feel the words to his next poem coming to him. Yet, he couldn’t ignore the underlying fear he felt for what could be lurking in the forest. The forest that was a mere few feet away from the car as they drove by.

_Can’t stay positive for more than five minutes, eh?_

Wirt flinched when Dipper tapped his shoulder. He spun in his seat towards his friend, who directed his attention to the clearing in the woods that approached through the front windshield. A shack or at least part of the shack came into view, with big letters saying ‘Mystery Shack’. He leaned over to peer between the front seats to get a better look at the building, if you could call it that. Dipper leaned in as well and bumped shoulders with him.

Wirt gulped and tried very hard not to give any indication that he was being affected by Dipper. It was a miracle Dipper never seemed to notice. But maybe he wouldn’t mind if Dipper noticed . . . maybe.

Dipper once again pulled him from his thoughts when he said with a wide grin; “Welcome to the Mystery Hack! Where we’ll con the money right out yer pockets!”

“Watch it, kid. Remember, I feed you”

Mabel began to giggle and eventually Wirt couldn’t hold back and laughed as well. He didn’t notice Dipper eyeing him longingly.

“Not very subtle, kid” Dipper sat back, to Wirts surprise. “And when are you gonna stop calling my place the ‘Mystery Hack’?”

Mabel stepped in then, barely able to calm her giggling, “When you get off your lazy ass and fix that sign!”

Everybody was laughing at that point, with Wirt laughing a little quieter than everyone else just because he wasn’t sure if it was alright to laugh at his new caretaker yet. But who knew, Mr. Pines was laughing too, so maybe it was fine.

“Ha ha, funny. Keep that up and you guys will be sleeping outside” Mr. Pines voiced quite loudly as he parked his lemon of a car out front of the shack.  
Now, he was starting to feel a little better about everything. And then he caught wind of the current conversation between the other occupants of the car.  
“Speaking of sleep, where is he sleeping, anyway?”

Dipper chuckled nervously and began scratching the back of his neck, “My room?”

Wirt stiffened in his seat. _HIS ROOM?!_ He couldn’t be in Dippers room with Dipper! How would he manage? He’d never be able to calm down, and surely it wouldn’t take much time before Dipper would discern what was wrong with him. His best friend wasn’t stupid. No, maybe he could sleep in Mabels room. NO, that was even worse; Mr. Pines would think he was coming on to his great niece. Oh, God.

“I mean it would make sense. Mabel uses the only extra room we had, and he is my friend after all” Dipper continued. Wirt eyed him from the corner of his eyes.

“Don’t be too eager, Dip-dop”

“Hey! I don’t make comments when you and Pacifica are having your ‘sleepovers’” He said using those ridiculous air quotes, “Don’t think I don’t know what you guys are doing”

Mabel let out a ‘hmph’ and pursed her lips in a pout. Wirt watched her throw her door open and promptly exit the cab. He followed her with his eyes, until she popped the trunk, which briefly obscured the sight of her. She stomped away with her bags towards the shack and left the three men to sit in silence.

“Pacifica?” Wirt wondered.

“She’s a friend, if you can call her that.”

“HA! She’s a piece of work, that one” Mr. Pines chortled before getting out of the car.

“Don’t worry, you’ll meet her at some point while you’re here.” Dipper said, while making his way to the trunk and unloading the remaining bags for easy access.

“Are you sure I want to?”

“She’s not as bad as Dipper says, DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!” Mabel screamed from the porch of the shack.

“You’re scaring the wildlife, stupid!” Dipper called back nonchalantly.

Suddenly, the shack door just about ripped off the hinges as a larger man wearing a dark t-shirt and a cap burst through it with a big smile, “HAMBONE”

Wirt flinched when he pulled Mabel into the tightest hug he’d ever seen anybody give to someone. He was sure Mabel would snap in half at any second if this guy didn’t stop. And yet, Mabel was taking it with ease, as if being crushed was no big deal.

“Soos!” She squealed.

“Dudes, I missed you,” This man, ‘Soos’, said with a buck-tooth smile.

 

Before Wirt could even blink, Soos made his way over and grabbed Dipper the same way he’d done to Mabel. Dipper accepted the hug with a big smile as he patted his back.  
Despite Soos’ not-so-gentle hugs, when he was done with Dipper, he put him done very carefully, to Wirt’s surprise. It was like watching a giant teddy bear.

“Hey man, how goes-it?” asked Dipper.

“So good, dude” Soos replied without even missing a beat. It even sounded like he meant it with all his heart, too.

“Great. Wirt,” Dipper started, to get his attention, “This is the shack’s handyman, Soos. Soos, this is the friend I mentioned.”

“Hello” Soos stuck out his big hand for Wirt to shake, which he didn’t immediately take just out of general shyness. And then, out of nowhere, he winked at him. Wirt eyed him, as he was completely at a loss for words. What it going on?

“Okay! Time to go” Dipper sputtered. He quickly had him by shoulders and began pushing around Soos and towards the door.  
He really didn’t want to be rude though, so he tried to give Soos a polite departing wave over Dipper’s shoulder. It was quick and barely noticeable, but Soos didn’t care apparently, because instead of waving back, he flashed Wirt a smile and gave him a ‘thumbs up’.

Mabel was cackling in the background.

Saying Wirt was confused would be the biggest understatement of the year.

_These maybe the longest two months of my life_.

.  
“Um, why does it seem l-like everyone knows something that I don’t?

“Oh, uh, that’s just. . . Gravity Falls for you. Everyone is like that around here” Dipper said dismissively. “Lots of secrets”

He wasn’t sure if he was meant to hear that last part, but he did. I’ll fit right in, won’t I?

 

The floor boards screeched in protest at even the tiniest bit a weight place upon them. It was almost like they were pain, if that made any sense. Old houses made horrifying sounds, naturally, but this was ridiculous. From what Dipper had told him, this house wasn’t even fifty years old yet. Even just looking around, this place looked as if it had seen the worst of the worst.

Yet, when he looked again, Wirt noticed patches here and there that were definitely newer or renovated; like a new window or a column of paint that was fresher than the rest. Then again, that just seemed to better prove that house was prone to falling apart.

“You and I are in the attic,” Dipper stated as he made his way to the staircase, arms filled with their bags.

Wirt followed mindlessly, his eyes scanning over every part of the shack that was available to him, hoping to get some of the layout in his mind. For example; the living room was directly in front of the door they’d entered, the kitchen (if you could consider that a kitchen) was immediately to the left of the door and the stairs were to the right.

He started up the stairs, when suddenly there was a resounding ‘crack’ and he found himself falling to his hands and knees.

Dipper was quick to turn around and he was at Wirt’s side within seconds, “Shit”

Wirt was so shocked he didn’t even notice that the luggage had been abandoned to tumble down the three or four stairs he and Dipper had climbed, “Um, what just . . . ?”

“God, I’m so sorry. I’m just so used to it, I didn’t even tell you about that wonky step” Dipper took his hand and attempted to haul him to his feet. That’s when he felt that his foot was actually below floor level. _My foot went through the floor, are you kidding me?_

“This would happen to me” He laughed nervously. Dipper, on the other hand, only let out a small chuckle, and he was clearly concerned. His eyes were focused on Wirt’s leg and his lip was being chomped down on, and he tried again to pull him out of his predicament. Once on his feet, he felt terribly awkward, and Dipper looked just plain upset. “Come on, t-this isn’t a big deal,” _What am I supposed to say here?_ “This isn’t the first time I’ve fallen through the floor . . . ?”

Finally, Dipper made eye contact with him. Then he crossed his arms and gave him a knowing look, “Really?”

“Nope” No hesitation.

The stairwell was quickly filled with Dipper’s beautiful laughter, “Tell you what, so this doesn’t happen again, you go wait at the top of the stairs and I’ll take our stuff up,” He smiled warmly, “I’ll hand some of them to you when I get up there”

Dipper patted his shoulder and shoved him lightly up the stairs. His hand lingered for a moment, and Wirt wondered if he had noticed what he had done, if he knew what that could do to him. Pretending he wasn’t fazed at all, he trudged up the stairs. He could hear Dipper walking back to the entryway, his feet creaking all the way down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is horribly late, I'm not even satisfied with this chapter entirely. Doesn't matter though, I have to get my rear in gear and start on chapter four which shouldn't be too much of a problem.  
> Some parts of the chapter were written pretty poorly, but whatever


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was an issue with flow around the middle of the chapter, sorry.  
> Plus I thought it would be a great Idea to start writing chapter 5 while I was still writing chapter 4, like what?? ?

When Dipper got to the bottom of the stairs to retrieve the fallen baggage, he noticed a form to his left, just inside the doorway. Mabel was standing there with the biggest shit-eating grin Dipper had ever seen on any human face before, and she was clearly itchin’ to tease him about what had just occurred with Wirt.

“Soooo, what was that?”

“What? You mean how the stairs tried to eat my friend, is that what you’re wondering? Because I think that’s what you were wondering” Dipper said monotonously.

“Dipper, we both know what I’m talking about” She laughed as she began lightly punching him in the arm over and over. He winced and tried to push against her, though it was half-hearted, and she wasn’t really hurting him in the first place.

“No, I don’t think I do-”

“Dipper-”

“Mabel, please stop. I’m nervous enough without you teasing me about this. I mean, he’s gonna be staying in the same room as me, for damn sake” He whispered desperately, “And by the way, you and Soos need to tone it the hell down, he’s going to catch on at this rate”

“Oh come on! What fun is that? And don’t you want him to know that you love him?”

“What? Mabel it’s too early for that, it’s just a crush and-”

“Crush!? Crush my left butt cheek. It’s been four years; you are in _lurve_ with that boy!” She said rather loudly as she pointed at the ceiling in the general direction of where Wirt would be standing.

“SHH,” Dipper leapt at Mabel’s face so fast, shutting her up with both his hands across her mouth, “He’ll hear you!” She swatted at his hands while he continued, “Regardless of how strong the feelings are, I need to be the one to tell him. Not you, not Soos, or anybody else”

Mabel finally pried his hands away and huffed in exasperation, “I got it, Dippin’ sauce. I’m on your side, remember? Soos and I are just trying to show that we’re a-rootin’ for ya”

“You guys have a funny way of going about doing that . . .”

“Dipper?” Dipper was startled by the third voice that rang in. He turned around and peered up the stairwell at Wirt, whom stood slightly bent at the knees in the landing on the second floor. “Do you need me to help? I can come down there if –”

“No, I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m just talking to Mabel”

“Yeah, don’t worry your pretty little tush, hon! Dipper is stronger than he looks,” She quipped.

There was a small silence, then Wirt spoke once more, his tone low and full of confusion, “I-I’m sorry . . . my pretty little tush?”

 _Mabel, I swear to God_ “Okay, no more out of you” Dipper said. He bent down an picked up as many bags as he could before he forgot them a second time that day, and began he trek back up the stairs, making sure not to trip on any drooping straps or anything of the like. It was fairly difficult, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been trying to impress Wirt, especially after Mabel had made that comment about his strength.

Dipper was terribly grateful when he made it to the top without falling backwards down the stairs, as he’d done on two or three occasions, including the time Bill Cipher had taken over and basically thrown his body down without care or remorse for the condition his body would be in. But demonic possession doesn’t count, or at least to Dipper it didn’t.

Besides, Wirt didn’t need to know any of this. How many times he’d fallen down the stairs while in control of his own body was strictly between Dipper and his dignity.

“Bravo, now give me some of those before your arms give out,” Wirt mock applauded. Without giving Dipper the chance to even breathe, Wirt removed the biggest bag from the pile in Dipper’s arms, which incidentally belonged to him, he made a small noise of exertion and Dipper swore when their fingers brushed that Wirt had done it on purpose. So, in just a slight shock, Dipper looked into his eyes, but Wirt had his averted and his face was a twinge redder, he noted.

“H-hey, you’re the guest, you don’t have to take that” He said with a lot less confidence than he originally thought he had.

“No, w-what kind of guest, I mean, come on I’m not g-gonna make you do everything just because I’m the guest . . . right?” Wirt stuttered and _God, he is ridiculously cute when he stutters._

Wirt cleared his throat in a distressed manner before continuing, “Which way to the room, Mr. Guide?”

Wirt was now looking at one of the only two doors on this floor, and Dipper chuckled, “That’s the ‘Johnny on Spot’, good sir. Bedroom is this way,” He motioned with his head, as his hands were still full of luggage, despite Wirt’s help.

“Good to know” Wirt smiled, his cheeks still lightly tinted pink from earlier. Wirt fell in step behind Dipper just as he turned around to head to the other door, which he bumped with his hip, and cringed when it swung open effortlessly and smashed against the inner wall of the room.

“I guess the door’s been oiled recently, ha-ha” He mumbled as he hung his head, “I really hope that didn’t dent anything”

The room had literally been left exactly as it was the afternoon he and Mabel were sent home for the fall. His bed was still unmade, and some of his abandoned posters were still tacked to the slanted ceiling above the bed. There were also papers sporadically scattered on the wood floor and a lone sock that had been forgotten the year before. And he noticed that most of the items in the room had a thin layer of dust. Yep, it definitely hadn’t been touched at all since he left.

But, you know what, he didn’t care.

They stepped in the room and Dipper immediately dropped everything on the ground in favour of flopping face down in his old bed. It was such a relief to finally get off his feet. He smiled into his pillow when he heard Wirt guffaw from behind him. Even his boisterous and short laughter could make his heart feel so warm. It may have been loud and sudden, but it still sounded amazing to Dipper.

“So elegant there, Dip” Wirt started, “Like a baby giraffe”

His face scrunched up in amusement at that, “You know it!” Then he lifted his face from the pillow using just his neck, “Oh, I should really be showing you where your stuff can go, shouldn’t I?”

“I mean I wasn’t going to say anything, buuuuuut-” Wirt trailed teasingly.

“A’ight, I got it, Sir Sassy” But instead of peeling himself from the bed, Dipper simply rolled onto his back and dramatically reached out curtain across the room, where he knew a dresser sat directly behind, “Oh Dear, I can’t . . . seem to reach . . .”

“So funny, Dipper” Wirt chuckled, his head lulling to the side in an exasperated fashion. Dipper could tell he wasn’t actually upset, though. So when he sat up in the bed, he made sure to be as animated as possible in his movements, including the walk to the closet. It made his chest all warm as Wirt continued to laugh at his antics.

In one swift movement, Dipper ripped the curtain back, revealing a small area the size of an average closet, just without it being a legitimate closet . . . The dresser was to the left, and to the right was a very small television sitting on a chest with a Super Nintendo (1) hooked to it.

“You can hang your shirts on this bar,” He said, tapping the bar in question, “There aren’t any hangers for pants, though, so we’ll have to share one of the drawers.” Wirt made a sound of acknowledgement and bobbed his head in understanding.

“If this is the closet, what is that door?” He pointed at the door behind the opened bedroom door.

Dipper looked up and swallowed, “That’s the old closet. It was too small and right now it’s acting as containment for the creepiest fortune-telling machine to ever exist”

“Are you serious? Like . . .” Wirt stuck his tongue out and strutted to the old closet. His fingers coiled around the door knob and he looked back at Dipper, who simply nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. He opened the door, peeked inside, and promptly shut the door as he yelled: “OH MY GOD”

“I know right!?” Dipper laughed.

“Oh my God”

“I’ve been too afraid to ask Grunkle Stan where he got that thing, heh” He continued to laughed as Wirt approached him slowly, and his head hung low, and his hands aimed at his shoulders.

Dipper almost lost it when Wirt looked him in the eyes and whispered one last time, “. . . _Oh my God_ ”

_**Knock Knock** _

“I hear a lot of laughing, so you’re gonna let me in or I’ll just come in anyway ~” Mabel sing-songed from the doorway, despite the door already being open slightly. She moseyed into the room, and right up to Dipper and Wirt, “What’s going on?”

“Your brother is trying to traumatize me with creepy wax people, perpetually trapped in boxes, telling people lies about their futures!” Wirt spat out quickly, waving his arms around like a lunatic.

Wide eyed, Mabel just stared ad waited for some explanation.

“The fortune-tell – ”

“AUGH, that thing is so creepy, why would you do that, Dip Dop?!” She reeled on him playfully, while her hands were on her hips. Dipper didn’t find it very intimidating.

“Hey, he did it out of his own volition! I didn’t make him do jack shit” Dipper put his hand up, as if he was trying to shush her, “And, honestly, this wouldn’t be a problem at all if one of us would ‘accidentally’ push that thing down the stairs.”

“I mean it’s hard to believe Wirt would want to –”

_“Family Meeting!”_

.

They had only been there an hour or two, a family meeting this early was odd, to say the least.

_Grunkle Stan must have his reasons._

Now the three of them were huddled in the living room, waiting for Stan to return from whatever part of the house he’d taken off to. Mabel had her butt planted in the decrepit arm chair with the terrible upholstery, and Dipper was leaning against the arm rest. Wirt, however, stood awkwardly to Dipper’s right, in front of the tank that held their axolotl. He made sure to make plenty of eye contact with Wirt, hoping he wouldn’t feel too out of place. If he was going to live here for the summer, he was going to have to be part of the meetings, and comfort was key.

Dipper also noticed that Great Uncle Ford wasn’t there. Stanford wasn’t one to miss a family meeting, regardless of how important his work was. He and Stan had reconciled during their third summer, and Ford had made quite the effort to be a good Uncle to Mabel and him. Of course, he did have to be introduced to the 21st century and taught what was acceptable in other dimensions may not be acceptable in this one, but he was doing very well. He had become involved again, and he’d even had the most heartfelt reunion with Fiddleford McGucket.

And Dipper had really wanted Wirt to meet the author he told him stories about throughout their high school years.

Then, Stan stepped down into the room with two of Stanford’s journals in his hands. Dipper could see they were the 2nd and 3rd journals.

“Unless you’ve gone blind all of a sudden, you guys can clearly see that my brother isn’t here” Stan said gruffly, “That’s why we’re having this meeting, ‘cause I gotta tell you the reason why, yada yada” He waved his hand at the wrist in a circular motion, and with the other hand he passed the journals to Dipper, who accepted them without question.

“Did something bad happen?”

“Well, I dunno about you guys, but I consider an explosion forcing glass shards to careen into people’s faces, a bad thing” Stan said, making eye contact with all three of them individually before starting up again solemnly, “No, I shouldn’t make light of the situation, sorry. I may be a con man, but I would never denounce the health and safety of other people.”

“Grunkle Stan,” Dipper intruded, anxious to know what was going on, “Is Great Uncle Ford okay?”

“Yeah, I guess. He’s better than McGucket.”

Mabel gasped, “Oh, poor Fiddleford” Dipper wrapped his arms around her.

“Ford’s been trying to help McGucket with his memories in his private study, with big machine and . . . creepy tapestries, ANYWAY. I guess something went wrong, and the machine had a mini explosion; there was glass sticking out of Ford’s arm and McGucket . . .” Stan paused and gulped, “McGucket’s chest was shredded, and there was so much blood. Ford took off with him for the next town over, because we all know the hospital here sucks balls.

“Before Stanford left, he told me to make sure you got the books, and he said not to worry about journal number one because he took it with him.”

“W-when did this happen?” Dipper was surprised that this was Wirt speaking. Grunkle Stan looked up, and seemed just as shocked as Dipper. He was probably flabbergasted that someone outside of the family would care about people he hadn’t even met, but Dipper knew better. Whether Wirt knew them or not, whether there was even anything he could do about it, he always cared.

Stan, still looking a bit out of it, replied; “Yesterday, I figured since you guys were going to get here today, that I’d just tell you when you got here.”

The room grew silent. Everyone clearly had their own thoughts to deal with. As cliché as it may be, but you could probably hear a pin drop, or at least that’s how it felt. Mabel hung her head low, and Wirt began fidgeting, understandably, and Dipper just sat there. Too many thoughts were running through his head, they were like a barrage of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. He wasn’t focusing, and he completely missed what his Uncle said next.

“Look, let’s not think about it anymore, it’s just gonna make everybody all weepy. McGucket will be upset if he finds out you guys were crying over him. And I’m pretty sure my brother will punch a hole in my gut if I make the old guy sad, so, run off and get happy. Um, dinner’s at six . . .” Stan finished awkwardly, then he scratched his neck and walked back out of the room.

Nobody moved for a few seconds, especially Dipper, who just remained motionless, staring at nothing in particular.

Mabel was the first to put on a brave face, “Uh . . . Wirt. Do you want to meet Waddles?”

“Huh?” Wirt jumped.

“My pig, do you want to meet him?”

“Oh, sure. Yeah, I’d like to meet him”

“Great. I’ll go get him, and I’ll meet you guys upstairs.” She said as she stood from the old chair, making sure to bump Dipper out of his trance with her arm. When he looked to her, Mabel smiled sadly then motioned towards Wirt with her eyes.

Wirt was shifting from foot to foot, his eyes moving like he didn’t know what to look at, or if he had the right to look at anything for too long.

 _Oh, right Wirt_. And now he felt bad. While he was getting lost in the recesses of his brain, his friend was stuck, probably feeling like the elephant in the room for being the only person not blood related to the aforementioned. He knew that feeling all too well; being the odd ball.

“Yep, we’ll be waiting” Dipper finally said. He stood up and reached for Wirt’s hand, and then he caught himself before straight up lacing his fingers with Wirt’s by grabbing the fabric of his sleeves between his fingers, instead. Dipper fumbled a bit, hoping to some higher power Wirt hadn’t noticed what he almost did.

What Dipper didn’t notice was the mini heart attack Wirt was having in regards to what almost happened. Mabel noticed, though, and she was pleased.

They all left the room at the same time, Mabel branched off towards her room, while Dipper and Wirt made their way to the stairs.

“Oh, hey, I just remembered, that step has a giant hole in it so be weary of that” Dipper laughed stiffly.

“Oh is there? I hadn’t noticed at all” Instead of stepping around the hole, Wirt opted to skip the step entirely. Dipper watched just to make sure there would be no mishaps. Everything was tense enough as it was, the last thing anyone needed was someone falling into the basement though the freaking stairs.

“Dipper?”

“Hm?”

“Are you okay?”

When he really thought about it, he wasn’t entirely sure he was, but . . . he didn’t want to burden Wirt. “Yeah, I’m okay”

He was thankful when Wirt dropped it, but he had a feeling this was going to come back and bite him in the ass, at some point. Wirt wasn’t the type to pry, though. So maybe he had nothing to worry about. And it certainly felt that way when the rest of the climb was eerily quiet. Dipper involuntarily gripped Wirt’s sleeve just a bit tighter, wordlessly asking Wirt to say something, just something other than what had transpired in the living room or just now on the stairs.

Wirt stayed soundless, until they were behind closed doors . . .

“I know you’re not okay, Dipper . . .” Wirt paused, “It’s your Uncle, right?”

Only then did Dipper let go of Wirt’s sleeve. He left Wirt to stand there, so that he could go collapse on his rickety bed. He dropped hard onto the mattress, but this time he didn’t care about the sounds of distress emitted from the old furniture. Too much was happening for him to care about the wellbeing of some bed that’s been here for God knows how long.

Before he spoke, Dipper tossed the journals onto his pillow, “I’m just being dumb about it. We don’t have to talk about this”

“ . . . I think you need to, though” He said gently, sitting down beside Dipper on the bed. The bed sank with the added weight, and in a way, it almost made him feel a little better. “I-I know I’m not family or anything, and we both know I’m pretty inept when it comes to sympathy . . . or empathy, but I’m willing to try to be that shoulder for you”

 _Why are you so perfect?_ Dipper didn’t speak right away, and Wirt didn’t rush him, letting the silence grow pregnant. There was only their breathing for a while, but when he noticed that Wirt was twisting his hands around in his lap, he knew he couldn’t sit there quietly for too much longer, lest he stress his best friend out.

“This will be the first summer since 2012 that Great Uncle Ford won’t be here . . . and honestly, I don’t know how I feel about that.

“He’s always been there for me, we have a bond that only we could have,” _We’re both freaks_ “And I now I have Mabel and she’s great, but sometimes you need someone whose older, or wiser, to talk to. Great Uncle Ford gets me in a different way than Mabel does.”

Wirt sighed, “You don’t seem to worried about . . . you know” Dipper watched as Wirt gestured to his arm.

“Great Uncle Ford’s been through worse. It’s McGucket I should be worried about, yet here I am worried about how I’m gonna do without Ford. God, could someone be any more selfish?”

The silence was present again, and Dipper wondered what could be going on in Wirt’s head, now.

“I don’t really know what to say . . . I-I told you I’m terrible at this” Wirt laughed.

“You don’t have to say anything. You listened, and that’s all I needed” Dipper smiled, “I really did want you to meet him, though” A sudden burst of confidence overtook him in that moment, and he slowly leaned into Wirt until their shoulders were touching. He didn’t allow himself to get carried away and put his head down in Wirt’s neck; that would be horrifyingly forward. “Oh, look at that. You really are my shoulder to lean on,” _Nice one, Dip. Candy would be proud_ , he mentally scolded.

Wirt went rigid instantly. He heard him gulp loudly, and well, Dipper was kicking himself over and over in his head. _Why did I have to be creepy?!_ He needed to do something quick. “M-maybe, you can still meet my Uncle,” He hurriedly shoved the two journals he had into Wirt’s hands, “I mean technically you’re not meeting him personally, but these journals are basically _him_ in book form”

“O-Oh, okay”

When Wirt began to flip mindlessly through the second journal, Dipper got up as fast as he could and decided that emptying out his luggage would be the best way to forget how much of a bumbling idiot he was being. Forget Mabel and Soos, he was being so obvious it physically hurt. Dipper couldn’t believe it was possible that Wirt hadn’t said anything about it. What if he already knew?

Wirt was smart, there was no way Wirt was oblivious to the way he looked at him. Especially when one was being as un-subtle as Dipper! Geez, all he was missing was the not-so-quiet things he would say under his breath. They would happen eventually, he was sure.

With all these thoughts running rampant in his mind, he almost didn’t notice that he had dumped all of his luggage in the dresser, when half of his belongings weren’t even articles of clothing. He sighed loudly, and raked his face with his nails before he started rummaging through the drawer for all of the things that didn’t belong in the dresser.

_Boy, I’m battin’ a thousand today . . ._

“. . . You’ve seen all this?”

“Hm?” Dipper spun around, he hadn’t expected Wirt to speak, “Well, Great Uncle Ford has. As for me, I’ve seen most of what is in the third book”

Wirt didn’t look up, “First hand?”

Something was wrong. Wirt had both books open at the same time, the second journal laid open on a random page, while Wirt flipped very quickly through the third journal. It seemed like he was trying not to look at anything for too long. Dipper could see his hands trembling, and his eyes were panic stricken.

“Wirt?”

Suddenly, Wirt gasped and snapped the book shut, which made Dipper jump back in surprise.

“What’s wrong?!”

“Nothing’s wrong -” Wirt said so quickly, he actually spoke before Dipper had finished speaking, himself.

“Knock, knock, I’ve got a waddles for a Mr. Wirt” Mabel called from the other side of the door. Wirt spared no time getting up and letting them into the room, but Dipper could still see him trembling.

He didn’t move from his spot.

.

_12:37 am_

It was quiet in the room, with the only decipherable noise being that of the crickets from outside, and the occasional creak of wood when the house would settle. No light penetrated the room from outside or otherwise. There was nothing to disturb the peace, because that’s what it was; Peaceful. Yet Dipper found himself awake and staring at the wall mere inches from his face.

He couldn’t sleep, and he knew why. It was Wirt. Wirt was awake in his own bed across the room. He wasn’t sure how he could tell, but he could. Maybe it was the way Wirt was breathing. It wasn’t steady, like that of someone who was truly sleeping, and he could hear Wirt sigh through his nose every so often. I wonder if he’s uncomfortable. All earlier teasing aside, maybe this really was the first time his best friend had been this far from home, and he was homesick. There was also, the more likely, that something in the journals had spooked him. He’d never seen anyone freak out like that.

Dipper didn’t know what was wrong with him, but he couldn’t let Wirt suffer all night for much longer.

“. . . Wirt” Dipper tried quietly. Wirt didn’t answer, but he was almost afraid to raise his voice. What if he’d been wrong and Wirt was sleeping soundly, and by calling out again he’d disturb his friend right out of his slumber. So, he kept silent for a minute.

Eventually, he heard another sigh across the room and then Wirt spoke, “Have I been keeping you up, Dip?” His voice barely above a whisper.

Dipper sat up slowly, with a hand placed firmly against the slanted ceiling so he wouldn’t konk his head like he’d done almost every day the previous year. He sighed, “You have. Are you okay?”

“. . .Sorry. I-I didn’t mean to disturb you”

“No! It’s not a big deal. What’s more important is what’s keeping you up” He swallowed, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Dipper could hear the sheets rustling, “No, it’s fine. It’s just first night jitters, you know? You should get a good night’s sleep; I’ll be fine sooner or later”

He didn’t really like that answer. Disappointment filled his chest when he realised Wirt wasn’t going to confide in him. But he respected Wirt and decided to drop the subject, as he sunk back into his bed.

It was almost an hour and half later before he finally heard Wirt’s soft snoring, and he was able to fall asleep himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Clearly the Super Nintendo doesn't belong to me . . .  
> Did you catch the reference I made to Roadside Attraction?


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not having an upload schedule, but this is just how I write.  
> The lengths of the chapters are going to be all over the place, too

Mabel woke up early that morning and decided to make everybody breakfast, whether they wanted it or not, because she was a nice person, gosh darn it. And if they didn’t want it, they would soon forget they hadn’t wanted her cooking because it was going to be delicious! Nobody could resist homemade chocolate chip pancakes!

So there she stood in the middle of the tiny kitchen, gathering the ingredients and utensils, wearing socks and a short panda bear nightgown. Her hair was scraggly and unkempt, of course, and she couldn’t stop yawning, but that wasn’t going to stop her from making the best pancakes ever.

_Wirt better have a sweet tooth_ , she thought.

She really wanted him to feel welcome. Mabel wasn’t as close to Wirt as her brother, but they were definitely friends. She really liked him, again, not as much as _Dipper_ (the goober), and she wanted to be closer to him. Over the years, as they matured, Dipper had made friends in Grenda and Candy, and it was like they’d become a group, the four of them. But with Wirt, Mabel only knew him from the times he visited during the school year, when she herself had her own friends to hang with.

Of course, they didn’t have to share all their friends, but being twins, it just made sense. It didn’t seem to bother either of them, anyway. _Besides, if Wirt’s gonna be my brother in law someday, I want to be as close as ever!_ She smiled to herself, hugging a giant mixing bowl to her chest.

Then she dropped all the utensils on the table and began her work while bouncing to the lyrics of ‘Don’t Start Unbelieving’ in her head. All the ingredients were thrown into the bowl to the beat of the song, and after she whisked the contents against her chest as she danced across the floor, trying her best not get splinters through her socks.

Mabel danced without care until she bumped into the table, and a batter covered spatula clattered to the floor, echoing into the quiet hallway. She cringed and hurriedly put the bowl back down.

“I told you, you’d scare away the wildlife. You’re lucky I was already awake”

Even more utensils hit the floor when Mabel jumped from fright at Dipper’s voice, her hand flying to her mouth to keep from screeching. She turned around to Dipper leaning on the doorframe in his night shirt and pajama shorts, which was odd because he would normally just walk around in his boxer briefs. He probably didn’t want to traumatize Wirt by showing off his skivvies, she assumed. His hair could be mistaken as a mirror image of her own hair, and he had some impressive bags under his eyes.

Mabel composed herself and gave him a hard look, “Did you even sleep?”

“Wirt couldn’t sleep. I’m pretty sure it was after 2am before either of us slept . . .” He grumbled as he scrubbed at his eyes.

“Poor baby. How come he couldn’t sleep?”

“He wouldn’t tell me”

Mabel didn’t miss the disappointment in Dipper’s tone. He wanted Wirt to confide in him, she could tell. After scrubbing his face raw, he looked so defeated, so down trod. _He’s probably beating himself up for this._

“Hey, he’ll tell you when he’s ready. He trusts you” She tried to reassure him. Her hand was placed gently on his shoulder and she rubbed in what she hoped was a comforting manner. She may not know too much about Wirt, but she was certain that Wirt trusted Dipper.

“I know . . . I guess,” _That didn’t sound convincing_ , “He says he’s not very good at being sympathetic, or even empathetic, but I don’t think he realises how big his own heart is . . .” The smile on his face could only be described as loving, but she knew that wouldn’t last long. Dipper was more sensitive than he’d like to pretend to be. “I just want him to know he can come to me, too”

“Common, Dipper. It’s only day two, and we’re across the freaking country from what is normal for him. Don’t worry,” She tried again. Dipper sighed and met her stare, to which she silently replied by putting her hand on his cheek tenderly. When she was sure Dipper had calmed slightly, she slapped his face, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to have him reel back in confusion, “Stop frowning, it doesn’t become you” She laughed.

Dipper chuckled, “You are literally the worst”

“Then why are you smiling? Eh? Eh?” Mabel began teasingly, “Anyway, does Wirt like chocolate chip pancakes?”

“Yeah, he does. Do you want me to get the chips for ya?”

“Please and thank you” She replied as she watched her twin approach the cabinets that would contain the drops of chocolaty goodness. Dipper scanned the cabinet, and then moved on to the next with pursed lips. Mabel furrowed her brow, hoping he was just teasing her, until he turned his head towards her.

“We don’t have any –”

“Aaaaaaaa _aaaahhhhHHH_ , why have you forsaken me!?” She said desperately with her head tipped back to the heavens, while her hands reached for the ceiling as well.

“Hey, calm down! He likes blueberries, too” He cackled.

“We have those!” Mabel gasped dramatically as she made a b-line for the fridge. “Get the pan going for me, would you”

Dipper shook his head disbelievingly, but did it anyway.

For a few minutes, the kitchen was filled with only the sound of the spatula pushing blueberries through the batter and scraping against the sides of the mixing bowl. Mabel worked diligently to make sure she had an even distribution of blueberries in her masterpiece before moving across the kitchen and pouring a ladle full of batter in the pan Dipper had just warmed up for her.

“Please, tell me you noticed how freaked out he was last night”

Mabel only stopped what she was doing for a second, “His hands were shaking. Of course I noticed”

“I think it was something from the journals . . .” Dipper sighed, “I can’t know unless he tells me, but I’m pretty fucking sure it was something that he saw”

“Language, Dip” Mabel mock scolded (it’s not like she never swore), “There’s an easy solution to this”

“What’s that?” He approached her, and watched the batter slowly become the first half of a pancake.

“Take him out and show him that not everything in the journals is dangerous. There’s plenty of stuff out there, something will appeal to him. In fact, everything should appeal to him, he’s a _poet_ ” She said, both hands on her hips.

“People can’t help what they’re afraid of, Mabel” He sighed again, “That’s almost ready to flip, by the way”

Mabel took a second to check the cake, before she looked back at Dipper with her lips pursed, “I know that” She flipped the pancake then continued, “Look, I made plans with Pacifica for today. Take him out, you’ll have all day.”

“We just got here, and you already have plans?”

“I made these plans over the phone, like, two weeks ago. Some of us around here have a girlfriend-” Dipper punched her lightly, and she just laughed, “This one’s almost done. Go get your boyfriend” She didn’t want to wake Wirt, but she didn’t want him eating cold pancakes either. If she had known that both Dipper and Wirt had slept poorly, she wouldn’t have made breakfast so early, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

Dipper smiled, “Shut up”

.

When Wirt woke up, he first noticed that Dipper was missing from his bed.

Second thing he noticed was that it was early; earlier than Wirt would ever consider getting up. That is to say, he wouldn’t get up this early if his house was on fire. Well, no . . . that was a lie, but it was still too early for any sane person to be awake. He couldn’t even fathom what possessed Dipper to leave the comforts of his bed, especially after Wirt had kept him up half the night.

God, he felt so stupid. Just thinking about it made his chest hurt in embarrassment.

Sometimes, it was hard to believe that at fifteen, he had trekked through the Unknown, and bested the _Beast_ of all things. He’d wadded through the muck and the slime to pull him and Greg from the murky lake that had attempted to take their lives. And now? Now, the manic scrawling’s in a book were making him sick to his stomach. There were three frickin’ books filled with monsters that just so happen to wander around the forest day in and day out. All he could think about, was how there was no way he would last ten minutes outside the shack. The shack was his safe haven.

_And Dipper . . . He must think I’m pitiful._ There was no way Dipper didn’t _instantly_ realise what was wrong. It’s not like he was ever good at hiding things from people, least of all people he cared deeply about.

It’s was just . . . the _Hide-Behind_.

The long, dark body and gangly limbs portrayed in the journal could ensnare fear in the hearts of the feeble. The eyes glowed an ominous gold to pierce through the darkness. It was elusive, and no one’s ever seen it; you hear it but nothing else. It lurked, and many people claimed to have at least heard the chittering noise it would make. There were no accounts that would infer this creature was violent.

The similarities were limited, but it was just too close for Wirt.

It reminded him of The Beast.

It reminded him of the creature that terrorised the people of The Unknown. The creature that had no qualms in deceiving people; telling people their loved ones were gone, that their loved ones were dead. Using their sorrow to get lost souls to do his bidding for all of eternity, for everyday of their time after death. He remembered how he almost wandered forever to keep Gregory from having his spirit burn out. The Beast had lied, and he almost fell for it.

**_Are you ready to see true darkness?_ **

Wirt sighed and unravelled himself from the sheets. The balls of his feet made tiny ‘tap’ sounds on the wooden floor when he swung his legs over the bedside.

He realised he was trembling again, and he hated it. _Why? Why am I like this?_ His hands wouldn’t stop. He rubbed them together desperately, yet they continued to shake. _WHY?_ The Beast was gone. _Why can’t I just forget?_

Suddenly, there was a (somewhat) loud clatter from downstairs that made him jump violently. His eyes were wide, and he sat motionlessly. Miraculously, his hands stopped shaking. _Ah, the irony._

Then Wirt heard mumbled voices speaking back and forth between each other. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, even if sounds travelled pretty freely through the walls of the shack. Dipper was one of those voices, he was sure, and the other was distinctly female; so Mabel. Despite his better judgement, Wirt strained his hearing to find out what they could be talking about, but to no avail.

Before his brain could process what he was doing, Wirt was up and leaving the room at a steady pace. He was now padding down the stairs, and the voices of the twins were becoming clearer little by little. The landing was just a few steps more.

It was still too hard to hear them, though. . .

What was he doing, anyway? He was totally trying to snoop where he didn’t belong. The conversation had gotten fairly hushed, clearly they didn’t want be heard.

_Maybe I should just go back upstairs. I’ll crawl back into bed, and pretend that I haven’t been skulking around like some – What is that amazing smell?_

The smell of pancakes wafted around him, and halted his chain of thoughts. It was the scent of homemade pancakes, specifically. He smelled blueberries; he loved blueberries! And aside from the smell, there was warmth creeping into the stairwell from the kitchen, as well. Wirt closed his eyes and just enjoyed everything in that moment, completely forgetting what he had been doing up ‘til that point.

“ _Shut up_ ” That was Dipper’s voice.

Dipper rounded the corner abruptly, and literally stopped inches from Wirt.

“GAH!” Dipper yelled, which drove Wirt to jump back, eyes wide and his hand on his heart, trying to keep it from leaping right out of his chest.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to . . . Oh, geez” Wirt panted.

“No, it’s fine” Dipper gulped as he dropped all his weight on the doorframe to the kitchen, “I was on my way to get you, actually. Mabel’s making breakfast and it’s almost done”

Wirt nodded while trying to catch his breath, his hand had migrated from his chest to covering his mouth. His eyes caught movement, and he looked up just in time for Dipper to run his hand through his hair, in that . . . really attractive way. Dipper’s birthmark of the Big Dipper was in full view, and it was so beautiful; it had always been beautiful to him. With each breath Dipper took, his chest heaved, and his shirt stretched across his pecs. That shirt is too tight. Now he was glad he had his mouth covered, because he knew if he opened his mouth the sound that would come out would be something he would never live down.

_YOU’RE STARING! Look away, but don’t make it look like you’re trying not to stare. Quick, say something! Something not stupid . . ._

Wirt licked his lips and chuckled clumsily, “Hope you enjoyed your early morning heart attack” _Good Lord_

“You shit,” Dipper said with fake contempt, “There’ve been better ways to say ‘good morning’, you know?”

Wirt laughed, but he felt maybe he shouldn’t have, so he hunched up on himself. After all, this exchange probably wouldn’t be this uncoordinated if he hadn’t been snooping. _I’m not even a morning person, and Dipper knows that. I would never be wandering about this early in the morning. It’s so obvious I was creeping around. Is he pretending he didn’t notice? Is he mad at me?_

“Hey, goobers. Not that watching you guys act all dorky with each other isn’t entertaining, but I’ve already got the second cake going, _sooooo_ -”

He hadn’t realised until just then that the stove resided directly to the right of the archway and Mabel had witnessed all that – whatever you’d call what just happened. She saw him and Dipper fumbling around like . . . OH, NO. She may have seen him checking her twin brother out! He totally roved over Dipper’s body with his eyes, and he _liked what he saw._

Dipper’s voice cut through, while he scratched the back of his neck, “We should probably - . . . Um, help me move the table away from the wall?”

Wirt nodded and ducked into the kitchen alongside Dipper, trying not to make eye contact with Mabel as he did so. There was a possibility she hadn’t seen him admiring her brother, but he wasn’t about to take that chance. So, he looked at the pancakes instead and tried to focus on how much he wanted to eat those, rather than everything else happening.

He only tore his gaze from the pan when he remembered that he was supposed to be helping Dipper move the table. Dipper was leaning on his arms with his hands planted at one end of the table, waiting for Wirt. To save himself from further embarrassment, he quickly grabbed the other end and waited for some sort of signal, so that he didn’t just randomly lift the table if Dipper wasn’t ready. He sighed internally when Dipper nodded and they moved the table in unison. Although, he did become confused when he realised the table was not as heavy as he had initially expected, and he wondered why Dipper hadn’t moved it himself. _Why should I expect him to do anything by himself, it’s clearly easier to do it with two people._

And on that note, he did wonder one more thing; “Dipper, y-you didn’t tell Mabel to make blueberry pancakes just for m-me, did you?”

They dropped the table as gently as possible, and Dipper spoke, “Well, I know they’re your favourite”

“Yeah, but – I mean, y-you didn’t have to - ”

“BLUEBERRY IS YOUR FAVOURITE?!” Mabel gawked, turning on her heel, “And here I was about to make chocolate chip pancakes. I guess we lucked out, because we didn’t have any-”

“We had chocolate chips in the cupboard” Dipper said simply with the biggest shit-eating grin Wirt had ever seen after which he opened said cupboard and tossed a bag of Hershey chocolate chips onto the table to prove he’d been lying.

Wirt tried to hold in his laughter behind his hand when he saw Mabel had her mouth open like a fish.

“Close yer mouth, you’ll catch flies” Dipper’s grin remained.

“You _tricked_ me!” Mabel said in a quiet voice, but the intensity was present. The she was pouting fiercely, and she lifted the frying pan with a pancake still inside and pointed it at Dipper’s face. “I will scald you, you little turd”

Wirt almost lost it when Dipper threw his hands up in surrender and his face actually held terror, “Oh my God, put that down before you actually hurt someone!”

At that point, Wirt figured it would be in his best interest to sit down at the table as far away from Mabel and the frying pan, which she was still swinging back and forth in Dipper’s face. Don’t ask how the pancake was still in the pan, because he did not have an answer for that. For now, Wirt was just going to let this play out. While the twins continued their banter, Wirt sat quietly and waited. It was fun watching them like this.

In the meantime, he tried to get his thoughts together. It was like every time he thought he could relax, there’s Dipper; doing something to get his feelings going. He already couldn’t stand next to him without his heart racing, but then he turns around and uses his perfect personality to make Wirt weak in the knees. It wasn’t fair. Did Dipper really get Mabel to make blueberry pancakes because he knew they were his favourites? Of course, that’s what he had said, but Wirt had a feeling maybe Dipper was just playing with him. It may have already been four years, but sometimes Wirt couldn’t figure out what someone like Dipper saw in someone like him.

Even so, he could pretend, and thinking that Dipper had done that just for him made him feel all fuzzy.

“Sit down and eat your pancakes!” Mabel’s voice alerted Wirt only a bit, but he still jumped when Mabel dropped two giant pancakes on a ceramic plate in front of Dipper with a very loud ‘clank’. Then, pretending like nothing happened; she gently moved to Wirt and served him his cakes with a beautiful smile. “There you go, Wirt”

“Mabel, you are such a brat”

Both he and Mabel gave him incredulous looks, and then Wirt uttered “You started that, Dip”

“I was joking. I know I’m just as much of a little shit as she is” Dipper said nonchalantly.

“Hey!”

“And so it begins” Grunkle Stan’s voice broke into the current conversation, as he stumbled into the kitchen in his striped pants and white wife beater like a man on a boat, “I don’t have to open the shack for another three hours. I should be asleep, yet here I am”

“Sorry, Grunkle Stan” Mabel said quietly, “We didn’t mean to wake you”

“Nothing you can do about it now, sweetie. Having you guys over for the summer is a hassle, y’know” Stan grumbled as he rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. _I highly doubt he means that._

“You love us,” Dipper chimed in with a fork full of pancake halfway to his face.

“Lucky you, am I right” He elbowed Wirt out of the blue as he laughed deeply, while Wirt sat there not knowing what to do. What he’d said was really funny, but he still felt too awkward around Stanley Pines and he wasn’t sure how to laugh so that it didn’t sound forced or fake.

What he hadn’t realised was that he had laughed through his nose anyway, and then without warning; he snorted.

Well now Stan was laughing even harder, much to his horror. His voice drowned out everything else, including Dipper and Mabel’s laughter which he hadn’t noticed yet. _God, just push me off a cliff. Remove my soul and hand it straight to the gates of hell._ In absolute embarrassment, Wirt put his head in his hands and groaned. Stan rubbed his shoulder affectionately, but the fact that he had yet to quell his laughter did nothing to make Wirt feel better.

He didn’t bother lifting his head when Dipper cleared his throat noisily, trying to hide that he’d been laughing at him too. “Wirt, Mabel is taking off for the day, so I figured you and I could spend our first full day here doing something cool” Dipper paused. Stan quieted slightly, and so did Mabel, probably to allow Dipper to have this chat with him. “There is a lot to see out there, and I . . . I want you to see as much of it as possible. If you want, that is. We don’t have to, if you just want to stick around the Shack, that’s fine too”

After hearing that, Wirt sighed deeply, and finally lifted his face from his hands, still slightly red from his previous embarrassment. Their eyes met, and he could feel the warmth returning to his cheeks. Dipper’s sunny brown eyes were soft and pleading, begging him to say he would go with him. He wanted to spend time with him alone.

“Hey, I wouldn’t mind if you two stayed. You can work around the Shack-”

“Oh, now you _have_ to say yes. Run away with Dipper before Grunkle Stan tries to dress you up as an attraction for the tours” Mabel leaned in as she finally sat down with her portion of breakfast as well as Stan’s, “ _Run fast, and run far_ ”

“You w-wouldn’t actually do that, would you Mr. Pines?” He stuttered.

.

An hour or two later, Wirt was standing on the porch of the shack, waiting for Dipper. Showers and breakfast over, Wirt was going to go out into the forest with his best friend. Now his mind was racing again, and standing there alone was not helping. It was a sunny day, but once inside the forest depths, sunlight wouldn’t really matter. He was stuck thinking about how scared he was. He’d like to believe that Dipper wouldn’t take him someplace dangerous, but what he felt was dangerous could be common place to Dipper, and that frightened him.

Dipper said something about gnomes, but he wasn’t quite sure. The morning had been hectic to say the least, what with the laughter, the bickering, and the stories (specifically ‘Dipper dressed like a wolf’ type stories) and of course, Wirt’s underlying panic.

_Calm down, Wirt. You’ll be fine. Don’t be . . ._

“Sorry for making you wait” The front door clacked against the outside wall of the shack, where Dipper emerged fumbling with a small backpack. Wirt watched as Dipper hoisted the bag onto his shoulder using only one hand, because in the other he held a camcorder. “Asking if you’re ready would be pretty useless, considering you’ve been waiting on me this whole time, heh heh”

_Don’t be afraid._

“Uh, yeah. I’m ready”

Wirt didn’t miss how Dipper’s smile wavered a bit before he spoke again, “Look, I know Stan helped in solidifying your answer on whether you wanted to come with me or not, but I won’t be upset if you’re really not up to this. We can go to the mall or something, if you’re more comfortable with that?”

_See, you’re holding him back. He wants to do something with you!_ “No, I’m good. W-where did you say you wanted to take me, again?”

“Oh, the, uh, the Gnome Forest” His smile was back, as he adjusted the bill of his trademark cap with the pine tree symbol, “Trust me, I really think you’re gonna like this place”

Upon hearing the tone in his voice, Wirt was inclined to believe him, “You think so?”

“Dude, its freaking gorgeous!”

Wirt felt a little better after seeing Dipper so enthusiastic, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He sighed with new found confidence, as little as it was, and fell into step behind Dipper, whom had already stepped off the porch. They began to walk, and the shack shrunk the farther they got, naturally. Even with the confidence he gained, Wirt subconsciously picked up the pace so he could be directly beside Dipper as the ventured past the Mystery Shack property line.

_Here we go_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wanted to tell you guys that Greg will be in the story, just give it like another two chapters.  
> Plus, next chapter I'm going to make reference to some AU's, even if they're not canon in my story :)
> 
> The good stuff happens from now on.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not great, but I needed the whole Pinescone things to get-a-going  
> I know you guys were hoping to see Wirt's reactions to the monsters, but i wanted to start with something calm and boring, so the gnomes.  
> Once again, it'll get better later with the other monsters :)

They were walking side by side, and Dipper couldn’t be happier. Wirt was so close that their shoulders bumped every once in a while, and he didn’t seem to mind the contact, so Dipper didn’t bother moving over. And it was getting increasingly harder not to jump around like a giddy child, but come on. Dipper had spent four years trying to get Wirt to come to Gravity Falls, and now he was here!

_Maybe, if this all goes well, this won’t be our first and last summer together in Gravity Falls._ That was such a nice thought, and possibly not too far off. Dipper smiled as he took a glance at Wirt. Thankfully, he didn’t seem too nervous, which was a total relief to Dipper.

Then Wirt tripped on something and made a tiny startled noise. Dipper chuckled as Wirt shot up, red faced, as he tugged on his dark blue sweater vest that had been displaced in the fumble.

“Aren’t you hot wearing that?” Dipper asked absentmindedly.

“Nope” Wirt swallowed, “What about you? I mean, you’re wearing flannel . . .”

As if he’d forgotten what he was wearing, Dipper looked down at his own shirt. He supposed flannel shirts were pretty thick for summer weather, but he was wearing a pair of pants that cut off just past the knee. Besides, Wirt didn’t really have a leg to stand on when it was customary to wear two layers when wearing a sweater vest and he was wearing full length khakis. Then again, he still wore his puffy vest during the summer when he felt like it. So, rather than bicker about clothing, he rolled his eyes with a simple; “No, I’m not hot, either”

He turned away, and began again after Wirt was by his side once more.

“So . . . there’s going to be, like, real gnomes? Like, I’m going to meet a gnome?” Wirt asked sheepishly.

Dipper spared a sideways glance to Wirt, without halting his stride, and frowned just a bit when he noticed that Wirt was watching the ground as they walked and his bottom lip was being chomped down on by his teeth. Instead of answering the question, he quietly said “They won’t hurt you, I promise” This wasn’t going to be like the first time he’d met the gnomes. There was no kidnapping, no shovels, no leaf blowers, and no killer fifty foot tall gnome assemblages. Plus, after the issue with the so called ‘gnome’ Gemulets, Dipper and Mabel were finally on better terms with Jeff, so he had that going for him. Although, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid of how the little people might react to having a stranger traipse through their part of the forest.

Wirt hummed as he walked. And this just made him feel, well, yucky. He didn’t mean to make it sound like he was dismissing Wirt and his anxieties. Dipper just wanted him to know that even if there was a threat he should be concerning himself with, he would be there to guarantee nothing would happen to him.

_You’re just too important, Wirt. Maybe I’m just not making you feel that way._

“So, why are you bringing a camera?”

“Hm?” Dipper started, “Oh, documentation. Ever since my second summer here, I keep a camera on me at all times, like I do with the journals. Up until now, the only records of the paranormal hoopla going on here is written in the journals, so I’ve been recording everything I see so that there’s more proof to this stuff. It works in with my dream of working in cinematography for a ghost hunting show, and every once in a while I’m lucky enough to come across something new. Plus, it lets me go back and see old friends” He smiled bright, and then he saw how attentive Wirt had been to his ramblings and he blushed. _Why didn’t he stop me? No one finds me interesting enough to let me finish my ridiculous self-indulgent speeches._

“O-okay” Wirt chuckled, “And the gnomes are . . .?”

“Friends,” He paused, then laughed, “At least now they are. You know, the first time I met them, they were trying to get Mabel to marry every single one of them and become their queen. Incidentally, they were also the first paranormal creatures we came across, ever”

While he spoke, he realised that the overall tone of the woods around them was shifting. They’d be there soon.

The ground levels of the paths were all over the place and soon they found themselves on a ravine like path, where they were two feet deeper than the land to the left and right of their heads. Tree roots grew on higher ground then protruded through the walls of the ravine-like path they currently occupied. This didn’t bother Dipper, but he noticed Wirt close the distance between them to literally maintain constant contact with their shoulders, no more accidental bumping. Colourful fungi popped up here and there, and everything around them was taking on a blue-ish tint.

“Is the forest changing colour, or I am losing my mind?” Wirt whispered.

“No, that’s part of the beauty” He smiled.

No sooner had Dipper said this, a single hissing sound came from the left of Wirt’s head. Wirt whirled on it, and leaped back right into Dipper’s chest when he saw what it was. Dipper cringed as he looked at a tiny gnome, no taller than a foot, with its teeth bared and hissing directly at them. It was using the differing ground levels to seem more intimidating by standing at eye level with Wirt, and hiss right in Wirts face. Soon there were four gnomes on the scene (One of which was Shmebulock, Dipper noted) and they were all hissing at Wirt. _And here I thought this was going to go well . . ._

This wasn’t normal. Sure the gnomes weren’t partial to strangers, but they also were not the type to go on the offensive, no questions asked. Even back when they first met, they showed no aggression until Dipper revealed his intent to save his sister and take their potential queen from them.

“I thought you said they were friendly!” Wirt squirmed.

“They usually aren’t this bad,” The suddenly, one by one the gnomes calmed down as they realised they’d been hissing at _Dipper_ ; a friend of theirs. “What is wrong with you guys?!” Dipper exclaimed as he gently pushed Wirt behind him. He felt his chest tighten horribly when Wirt grabbed the sleeve to his flannel between two fingers, like a child. _This was a bad idea, God; I’m such a horrible friend._

“S-sorry, we didn’t mean to upset you,” One gnome said as he stood up properly.

“Shmebulock . . .” Said Shmebulock (obviously) as he approached and reached up to tug at his pant leg.

Dipper sighed as he bent down and scooped up Shmebulock up into his hands. The gnomes weighed so little that they could just stand right on his hands with little difficulty to Dipper. To Dipper’s surprise, Wirt was now peering over his shoulder and he was observing Shmebulock with wide, curious, but wavering, eyes.

It sucked somewhat to see the curiosity in Wirt’s eyes being mixed with fear. He wanted to see the wonder in those dark chocolate eyes that he loved so much.

Eventually one of the other three gnomes spoke up, “It’s pretty lucky you’re here Dipper. Jeff wants to talk to you. It's . . . important”

Then off they went, all three of them. Clearly Dipper and Wirt were meant to follow them, and declining was not an option, no ifs, ands or buts. Shmebulock just stared, making no effort to remove himself from his grasp, completely expecting Dipper to carry him all the way to the gnome hideout. He just smiled; the enormous gap between his teeth even more present. It’s was kind of endearing.

The gnomes took them down a hidden trail off the beaten path, a trail that Dipper knew well. He also knew that it would lead them somewhat underground, and he really hoped Wirt would be fine with that. As he knew, Wirt wasn’t exactly the ‘adventuring’ type. When Wirt showed very little signs of being perturbed, Dipper decided just to walk beside him rather than in front of him, silently praying that it would be enough to help Wirt. _Oof, kinda presumptuous, Dip. You aren’t his all mighty saviour._

.

“Oh, Dipper! Good, I need to talk to you,” Jeff squawked. He ran up to them as fast as his stumpy legs could carry him, but he skidded to a stop when he caught sight of Wirt, “Um, who’s your friend?”

“This is my best friend Wirt, from Massachusetts,” Dipper beamed excitedly, “Wirt, this is Jeff, and he’s like the head gnome”

Wirt nodded nervously in Jeff’s direction, as Jeff would not take his eyes off of him.

“He’s also a total weirdo, did I mention that?”

“Hey, come on now. I have feelings” But instead of denying his claims, Jeff smiled awkwardly and bunched his shoulders. He then adjusted his pointy red cap and directed his attention to Wirt once more, “You w-wouldn’t happen to be 692 years old, um, would you?”

“ . . . No” Wirt answered while looking at Jeff like he had three heads.

“No? Okay. Stupid question,” Jeff tore his eyes off Wirt and tried to focus on Dipper, “Anyway, I gotta talk to ya about something! It’s important!”

“So I’ve heard. Alright, what’s up?”

“ . . . I’m sorry. Are you sure? You look just like –” He addressed Wirt again.

“I’m very sure” Wirt replied quickly and without missing a beat.

“JEFF”

“Right, um, you see-” Jeff sighed, “I need your help again . . .”

_This better not be like when you tricked Mabel and me into collecting four Gemulets by telling us they protected the forest, but in reality, you just wanted them to unleash this hellish ancient dark magic._ Yeah, maybe he was on better terms with the gnomes, but he was not prepared to deal with that crap again. Depending on what Jeff asked him to do, could be a game changer on whether he wanted to continue associating with the little people. Sure, he’d help, because that’s the kind of guy he was, but he wouldn’t be happy about it.

“I swear, Jeff . . .” Dipper rumbled, his left hand raking through his bangs that hung out the front of his cap.

“Please, I don’t know what to do”

“ . . .Yup. What’s the problem?” _Great, this was supposed to be the summer where I could sit back and enjoy myself, where I can just be with my closest friends. I just want to be with Wirt. This better not be something too dangerous, I just can’t do that to Wirt . . ._

“Ummm, there’s this – I don’t know what it is, b-but” Jeff sighed shakily, “Whatever is out there, it’s a monster, Dipper”

“W-what do you mean?” He asked carefully. Looking around at the gnomes all around, most had their heads tipped down solemnly, and the other simply looked like they were in a trance. He stole a glance at Wirt, who stood there in confusion, but also looked a bit remorseful. _I know where this is going._

“There are black creatures everywhere, with eyes that glow, a-and . . . we’ve lost twenty three gnomes so far, Dipper” Jeff swallowed, “It’s not just the gnome people, either . . .”

“. . . I’m sorry”

“I may not be the best leader, but I will not lose anybody else. That’s why I need your help, I can’t do this al-”

Dipper raised his hand calmly to silence Jeff, “It’s okay. I’ll look into it, definitely”

The distraught gnome then latched onto Dipper’s leg, “Thank you”

“No problem . . .”

“Now” Jeff let go and wiped away at tears that had yet to fall, and he turned back towards Wirt, again, “What brings you and Dipper to our home this day?”

Well, that made little sense. Why was Jeff being so formal, all of a sudden? And he barely knew Wirt, why was he addressing him and not Dipper? _Must have something to do with that whole ‘692 years old’ thing._

“Um, we – uh . . .” Wirt stuttered uncomfortably.

“I wanted to show him the forest, would you mind if we walked around?” _I’m not asking for permission, Jeff._ He tried to communicate with his eyes.

“Of course, just –” Jeff trailed off as he approached Wirt’s shoes this time. He stood before him and motioned for Wirt to crouch to his level with a tiny hand movement. Wirt shot Dipper a bewildered look before bending down before Jeff. “May I see your hand?”

Wirt complied, as Jeff grabbed his index finger with one hand, then placed his other on top, “Is their even a slight chance you may part gnome?”

“Jeff –”

“You have an appearance identical to that of our former Prince” Why did he always have to make everything creepy?

“Enough of that. We’re leaving, goodbye.” Dipper grabbed Wirt by the wrist before Jeff could say anything more, and they took off. He pretended he couldn’t hear the confused and insulted yells from behind.

Very soon, they could no longer hear anything, and the gnomes were finally out of sight.

Wirt broke the silence, “That was . . . odd”

“So . . . how does it feel to find out you’re royalty, your Highness?”

Wirt laughed and pushed Dipper lightly on the shoulder, “Shut up, Dip”

Dipper smiled, but it was short lived. He just felt so bad that, only minutes ago, Wirt had felt so unsafe that he’d clung to him in fear, needing some sort of shelter. “I’m sorry about all that”

“What do you mean?”

"Well, this was supposed to be a nice outing, you know? It’s kind of easy to see when you’re uncomfortable, too”

Wirt sighed but did not look away, he kept eye contact with Dipper. Soon, he was pulling at the sleeves of the shirt he wore under his sweater vest. _Shit, I put him on the spot._

“T-these aren’t exactly the types of things you see every day back home, are they? It’s not your fault I was a nervous wreck, so, d-don’t worry about it. Honestly, meeting gnomes is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, it’s too bad I won’t really be able to tell anyone about it, though” He shrugged.

“You could, but nobody would believe you” Dipper laughed as he bumped Wirt’s hip with his own, sending Wirt slightly off the path from the opposite reaction created by the force. Wirt stumbled horribly and Dipper cringed, but that was replaced by more laughter when he realised Wirt was chuckling himself. “Sorry, years of dancing to Babba in the bathroom, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah” Wirt shuffled back to a proper standing position, “I know I make everything sort of awkward by being so jumpy, but trust me, I’m having fun”

“I’m glad, because we aren’t done,” Dipper said, “The further we go, the prettier it gets” Finally, everything was smoothing out for the two of them, and Dipper couldn’t be happier.

And so they kept walking, further and further from the grotto where the gnomes lived. The path leveled out, so it felt less like they were walking underground, but trees remained tall.

The sky was not visible through the trees, and did not provide much light, but that was okay. The darker the path got, the more one noticed that tiny balls of light were illuminating the woods in a multitude of colours, floating gently in the air. People would argue they were simply fireflies, but they were not; it was just another phenomenon no one can explain, which once again added to the charm. The colourful mushrooms from before became more and more like the fungi you’d see in cartoons, with giant polka dots, and they were getting bigger. Most were just as tall as his waist, but some (only some) were tall enough to dwarf both he and Wirt.

From the corner of his eye, Dipper finally saw the wonder on Wirt’s face.

Wirt slowed his movement and stood in awe at what surround them. Dipper watched as Wirt stretched out his arm to touch the large flat top of the mushroom. “It’s squishy,” He shook his head with a small smile, “I feel like a five year old”

“Is that bad?”

“No, I guess not” Wirt smiled widely and turned his head towards Dipper, but then he faltered, “Wait, are you recording?”

Dipper giggled, “Yup”

“How long have you been recording me?!” Wirt’s face had gone completely red, as he wrapped his arms around himself.

“I started recording just before you said ‘It’s squishy’” Dipper lowered the previously overlooked camera away from his face, “Let me tell you, I’m really glad I got that on film”

“That’s so embarrassing, Dip!” Dipper felt his own face grow warm while watching Wirt cover his face with both hands and crouching close to the ground in mortification. _He’s so cute, how does he not see what he’s doing?_

“Oh, come on, you’re so photogenic” _In which I mean I like the way you look._

“That is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard” Wirt chuckled lamely behind his hands.

Without turning off the camera, Dipper sat down beside Wirt on the path, because it wasn’t like anybody was going to come through there, “You hungry?”

Then, Wirt shifted his weight and allowed himself to fall to his butt, stretching his legs out in front of him and removing his hands from his face with a huff, “Kinda, I mean if I were any hungrier, you’d be able to hear my stomach. Should we head back to the Shack for lunch?”

“What do you think I’ve been carrying in this bag?” He chuckled, swinging the back pack off his shoulder for the first time since taking off on their little excursion. With a quick movement, the bag was unzipped and Dipper produced two sandwiches from its depths, but not before pushing aside all sorts of equipment out of the way first. “It might be a bit squishy, but it should be fine”

Wirt chuckled, his face still pink, “You are so mean. Now give me that sandwich”

.

About a half an hour later, Dipper and Wirt had finished their lunch and were now sitting on the ground, enjoying each other’s company and the quiet. They weren’t talking at the moment, but they didn’t need to. It was nice; maybe even perfect.

Dipper had been right about this place. It was fantastic to say the least. He almost couldn’t believe he was having a mini crisis just this morning! Wirt had never seen anything this wonderful, not even in the Unknown – well – maybe that was a bit of a stretch, but still. In terms of beauty, he didn’t know anything like this could even exist in the real world, and that made is so . . . wow.

_Eloquent as always_ , he thought to himself with a smile.

For a second, he decided he would close his eyes and just listen. There wasn’t much to hear besides Dipper’s steady breathing, but that was nice too. Even just that was giving him ideas for poetry, and soon he had a piece of what could be the first of his poems for the summer. It wasn’t fantastic, but it seemed fitting . . .

“The folly of man can be righted

In the enchanted forest among

The air so serene

And the leaves so still”

“I like that” Dipper sighed in a manner that sounded contented.

Wirt opened his eyes, slightly startled, to find Dipper actually had his own eyes shut. When you speak out loud under your breath, people will hear you, Wirt just hadn’t expected Dipper to say anything about his spontaneous poem. Of course, he knew his best friend was aware that he liked to recite poetry quietly, but it still came as a shock when he realised that anybody could hear him; which was silly now that he thought about it.

“ . . . I’ve written better” Wirt mumbled.

“Everything you write is beautiful” Dipper opened his eyes then and met his own, staring with a very soft but determined look. He found himself entranced and he couldn’t look away . . . he really adored those eyes. In that moment, Wirt swore a meteor could crash into the earth mere feet away from them, and he wouldn’t notice, or rather, he wouldn’t care.

But then, one of those colourful balls of light flitted right between he and Dipper, effectively breaking the moment. Dipper’s expression changed and he tore his eyes away and stood up suddenly.

“We should, um, we should get going. I mean we do have all day and as cool as it is here, I don’t want you to get bored of it, haha”

Wirt felt his heart sink, _Oh geez, I freaked him out again. What is wrong with me? Who in their right mind wants their best friend staring at them like that? I have to get a hold of myself, or I’ll ruin our entire friendship. He’ll catch on at this rate. Don’t ruin it, Wirt. You’ve ruined too many things in your life, don’t ruin this. What are you going to do when he inevitably leaves you behind? You don’t know do you? Because he’s one of the best things to ever happen to you._

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Dipper offered his hand to help Wirt back to his feet. Dipper looked less distraught, which calmed him slightly as he took the offered hand. “Thanks”

Once on his feet though, he felt a horrible shiver run down his spine, as he looked past Dipper’s shoulder and saw, or what he thought he saw, a pair of glowing eyes in the distance. He swore the eyes glowed three different colours at the same time. They were looking directly at him for quite some time, before they shifted slightly towards Dipper.

“What?” Dipper was confused. He turned, but the eyes were gone, much to Wirt’s relief and horror.

“I – I thought I saw something . . . I –” Wirt gulped, “Um, would y-you mind if we just went b-back to the, uh, the Shack?”

“Yeah, of course . . . if that’s what you want”

_. . . You did it again, Wirt._

_Damnit_


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went back and changed Greg's age to nine instead of ten in the first chapter.

Dipper didn’t doubt Wirt had seen something. After all, wasn’t that what Gravity Falls was? The place where you see things, things you had only dreamed were real, things you wished weren’t real. He just . . . wished he had seen it. How’s he supposed to help Wirt if he didn’t know what he saw? Sure, he could ask, but what if Wirt shut him out? What if he just kept to himself like he did the night before? _What if he never opens up to me?_

The Shack was fast approaching at the speed Dipper and Wirt were currently walking. Wirt had wanted out, so Dipper opted for a less leisurely pace, for his sake.

Dipper took note of the audible sigh of relief Wirt emitted when they stepped out into the open land that the Mystery Shack occupied, although, Wirt didn’t seem to notice he even made a sound. If he were to guess, Wirt’s mind was probably on auto pilot right now.

Cautiously, Dipper piped up and asked, “You wanna just watch a movie? Have any interest in ‘Back to The Future’?”

Wirt stared and exhaled through his nose in amusement, “Sure, it’s . . . a very accurate representation of life in the twenty first century”

“Hey, they tried. Cut them some slack. That was the second movie, anyway” Dipper laughed. But even through the laughter, he didn’t like how fast Wirt was switching between emotions. It was unsettling, and furthermore, just unhealthy. He wondered if Wirt knew that.

For now, Dipper chose to let it go, as he climbed onto the porch and pulled the door to the Gift shop open. In his mind, it was faster than going around to the house entrance just to get to the living room; such is the leeway of having an Employees Only door lead right to your common living space. The door chimed, revealing Stan at the register, ringing some poor chump’s purchase, and Soos, who stood off to the side while sweeping the floor.

“Come again,” Stan grinned, “I mean it! And bring some friends, too!” His boisterous laugh rang loudly, as he began counting the handful of bills.

Dipper stopped at the register and eyed his Grunkle, “You conman”

“Dipper, you are literally stating the obvious” Stan shot back pointedly, shrugging his arms in a way that said ‘What is your point?’

“Hello, Mr. Pines” Wirt added in a quiet voice.

“What did I tell you about that? Call me Stan, or even ‘Old man’, anything but Mr. Pines. It’s kind of reserved . . .” Grunkle Stan mumbled, his eyes darting towards Soos and back. Dipper stood still, remembering how Stan didn’t like anybody calling him Mr. Pines because it reminded him of his dad. Soos was a special case. Everybody in the Shack knew Stan thought of Soos like the son he never had.

“ . . . Sorry . . . S-Stan” Wirt warbled, wringing his hands together.

“That’s better, kid. By the way, Pacifica is here” Stan went back to counting the bills and placing them in the till.

“Are you kidding?” Dipper sighed dramatically.

“I-Is she really that bad?” Wirt stammered.

“No, I guess not,” He paused, “No, I’m lying; she’s not a bad person. She just grew up under-”

“The exact definition of ‘Abusive, shit-sucking, garbage parents” Stan offered without looking away from the cash register.

“Yeah, that. I guess you’ll be meeting Pacifica a lot earlier than I originally expected.” Dipper said dismissively. He motioned towards the door that connected the house to the gift shop, and Wirt followed.

Once past the door, they stepped into the part of the living room where a dining table sat against the wall. There was a dividing wall, and just around that was the rest of the room.

They rounded the corner, Wirt just steps behind Dipper, and saw Mabel sitting with a beautiful blonde. The blonde, Pacifica, was sitting in the ratty arm chair, in a short blue sun dress, barefoot and her hair cropped just below her chin. Her legs were spread slightly, because Mabel was on the floor between them, having her hair played with by Pacifica’s perfectly manicured nails. She was bitting her lip and giggling with every stroke, totally unaware that the boys had entered the room.

Dipper smiled reluctantly. Pacifica was an enigma, yes, but she made Mabel happy, and that was what mattered.

Pacifica was the first to notice them, and she stopped with her fingers half way down Mabel’s head. She nodded in Wirt’s direction, but addressed Dipper, “Who’s the nerd, nerd?”

“This is Wirt,” Dipper grunted. Wirt waved hello.

Pacifica, in turn smirked knowingly, and went straight back the playing with Mabel’s curls, “I see”

“Hey guys,” Mabel said excitedly without moving her head in their direction, as to not interrupt Pacifica’s ‘handy’ work. “I know I told you you’d have all day, but we decided to come back early. I wasn’t expecting you guys to come back early, though”

“Yeah, well . . . There’s plenty of things to see and plenty of summer to see it in. We didn’t want to get too many things over with in one day, you know” He wasn’t about to tell them that the visit to the Gnome Kingdom was a bust (Not a bust? Just not perfect?) And that something had spooked Wirt, so they came home. Not a chance; he wouldn’t humiliate Wirt like that.

Also, he was kind of on edge about this thing Wirt had seen, especially after Jeff told them about those monsters. Their description almost didn’t match anything he remembered seeing in any of the journals. Maybe, it resembled the Hide-Behind, if he squinted, and even then it wasn’t a true match because, yes, that’s what it looked like in the journal, but no one had truly seen it as of yet. It was pretty concerning. Of course, new things were exciting, but something in Dipper’s gut told him this was not a creature he wanted to deal with.

“Well, don’t just stand around, come sit with us” Mabel beamed as she patted the ground beside her. There was an old love seat that Stan had purchased when Great Uncle Ford came home, quickly realising that during the summer, there would always be at least two or more people in the living room, two of which were old-ass men who couldn’t sit directly on the floor. But even with the heavily used love seat, bought off an old man who owned it for 46 years, Dipper knew that sitting there would not be an option, because _Mabel_ wanted them to sit with her on the floor, damnit!

“We were gonna watch a movie,” Dipper stopped for a second, and turned to Wirt for verification. When Wirt nodded ‘yes’, he said again, “Yeah, we wanna watch a movie. Would you mind if we turned the t.v. on? Just kidding, I’m going to do it whether you want me to or not”

“And what movie are we being graced with?” Mabel said in the most ridiculous, pompous, regal voice she could come up with.

Dipper dropped to his knees beside a cardboard box filled with VHS tapes, and began emptying it one case at a time, “Back to The Future, if I can find it” In the meantime, Wirt had carefully taken a spot on the floor beside Mabel, whom was still enjoying Pacifica’s hands in her hair.

“Wow, I haven’t seen a VHS tape since I was seven” Wirt stated.

“Yeah, that’s one of the best things about coming to see Grunkle Stan; you keep in touch with old people stuff!”

“You have quite the way with words” Pacifica said monotonously, but while she wore a smile.

“I KNOW” She beamed again, “Not a lot of people see that in me”

Everybody was either laughing full out, or at least giving a genuine chuckle at this point.

.

“ _What about George?_ ”

“Stop quoting the movie, Dipper”

“ _George McFly? Oh, he’s kinda cute and all but . . ._ ” Dipper smiled at Wirt.

Wirt returned the smile with the most awkward giggle ever in the history of forever. Oh, God why is he directing that at me? What is happening here? His cheeks were so warm he swore his blood was made of Lava! And then, cheeky bastard Dipper was, he wiggled his eyebrows! At him! AND THEN, he laughed his beautiful laugh and leaned his shoulder right onto his! In front of Mabel and Pacifica!

“Stop that” Wirt said, laughing through his words, his face burning even more. Thank God, the living room was dimly lit and the only real source of light was from the television.

“Hey, nerds, go flirt somewhere else” Pacifica said numbly.

That’s what she said, but that’s clearly what she was doing with Mabel. How could Mabel not see that Pacifica was flirting with her? People didn’t just touch each other’s hair like that. _She’s totally smitten with Mabel. Why doesn’t she just tell her how she feels?_ Or, what if she had already told her? Were they dating?

Wirt realised he was no longer really watching the movie, but he was focused on Pacifica and Mabel. The way they smiled, even if Pacifica’s looked strained, like she wasn’t used to smiling and the way they sat with each other. _They have to be dating, otherwise that’s just . . . I don’t even know_. They seemed to be touching in some way, shape, or form, no matter what. Wirt found himself very fixated on that. The girls just touched, without it being awkward, like it was expected of the other person. Mabel’s hand found its way to Pacifica’s, and they intertwined their fingers, no questions asked.

And he stared at them longingly.

He wanted that.

He so badly wanted to do that . . . with Dipper.

Would he be able to re-focus on the movie at this point? Probably not.

Paying attention to the movie wasn’t going to happen any time soon, so he completely gave up on trying. He was too busy with his own thoughts now, anyway. Like ‘tell her how she feels’. Really? Wirt could question someone else’s ability to confess their attraction to someone else, but he didn’t even think twice about how he couldn’t even look in Dipper’s direction without freaking out?

 _Maybe it’s because I have little to no chance with Dipper, and I know that . . . I know he can do so much better than me_.

Suddenly, Dipper got up from the floor, and dusted off his rear quickly, which was still very distracting, no matter how innocent the action was. Wirt coughed and pretended he didn’t notice.

“Twin meeting” Dipper mumbled as he snatched Mabel from floor, ignoring her protests, which were half-hearted at best.

And then Wirt was alone with Pacifica.

A horrible silence fell between them, and Wirt was getting more and more nervous as time went on. But what made it worse was that Pacifica didn’t seem to mind it at all. She was calm and she just continued to watch the movie as if she was the only one in the room. So, Wirt tried to do the same, but he still couldn’t fully focus back on the movie. He strained himself just trying to keep his eyes facing ahead. _It’s bad enough I creep Dipper out, I don’t need to be making bad first impressions with Mabel’s friend, too._

“So,” Pacifica started, “You’re the guy that’s got Dipper’s interest”

“. . . What?” Wirt squeaked, turning his attention to Pacifica, after he tried so hard not to.

“You are literally the _only friend_ he has outside of Oregon” She bobbed her head and said this as if it was the most common knowledge.

“. . . I-I don’t – I’m sure he has plenty of friends o-other than m-me . . .” He sputtered out in return. _Wait, does he . . . ?_

Pacifica hummed a laugh, “Yeeeaaah . . . no. Dipper is a good guy, but making friends isn’t one of his strongest suits. Even if he has other friends, he talks about you the most. You must be important . . .”

Wirt laughed condescendingly while turning away, “Yeah, sure, the insecure fool who plays clarinet, writes poetry and wears sweater vests is important.”

He missed the genuine frown Pacifica wore across her face.

.

“Did you see the way he was looking at you guys?” Dipper was pacing the kitchen, mindless circles in a haze. He was upset, but it was so wrong. _I can’t be that guy!_

“No, I didn’t. Are you sure he wasn’t looking at you?” Mabel, however was sat at the table, backwards in her chair with her arms hanging over the back rest.

“I was sitting on his right, Mabel . . .” Dipper deadpanned.

“Oh, come on-”

He began pacing even faster, “Do you think it was Paz? I mean, she’s beautiful, maybe it was like an instant crush or something? Well, okay, maybe not, they’ve literally only known each other, like, forty minutes”

“Dipper-”

“So, he was looking at you! Mabel, he likes you, and –”

“Dipper, what the hell?!” Mabel stood, completely shocked, looking at him with wide eyes.

“No, it totally makes sense! He was looking at you the same way he looked at you when we got here yesterday. Do you think that’s why he hangs out with me? To be with you?”

_He can like whoever he wants. It’s not up to you, but . . ._

“WHOA! Whoa. Dipper, no, do you really think he’s that kind of guy? Wirt wouldn’t use you like that! Geez, don’t you trust him at all?”

“No, I-” Dipper sighed through his nose, “Why would he hang out with me, otherwise?”

“Uh, because you’re his best friend and he likes being with you?”

“I mean, we kinda like the same things, but look at me!” Dipper whispered urgently, jabbing at his chest with both hands.

“ . . . I am”

“I’m obsessive,”

“You’re passionate”

“I’m short and fat”

“You’re pudgy, not fat. It’s a Pines family trait, I’m not exactly the smallest person either, you know . . .”

“ . . . I’m boring and unattractive . . . and, well, I have this . . .” The hat came off, and Dipper pushed back his bangs, revealing his birthmark.

_Don’t leave me behind . . ._

Mabel sighed so sadly, “ . . . I thought you were over that-”

“Well, I’m not. It’s what makes me a freak!” He said loudly, dropping hard into one of the kitchen chairs. His head was in his hands within seconds as he huffed pathetically (or at least to him it was).

“I think it makes you the coolest guy I know . . .” She said matter-of-factly.

“I think it makes me a perfect candidate for one of Great Uncle Ford’s studies” He whimpered involuntarily, and he felt like cursing himself when his eyes began to burn with un-shed tears.

Dipper flinched when he felt Mabel’s arms wrap securely around his shoulders. She’d moved from where she stood to hold him. It helped, but at the same time it didn’t. When he realised that’s what she was doing, it just made it harder to hold back the tears. Mabel hummed as she held him, rubbing up down, his sleeves bunched with every movement. “You are _not_ a freak, and Wirt doesn’t think you are either, so . . .” She pitied him, he figured. He was so distraught and pathetic that his twin sister felt that she needed to hold him.

“I don’t think I can handle another Wendy . . .” He whimpered again, “I fell so deep, so fast, Mabel. What do I do?”

“Well, the best thing I can think of, is telling you that . . . Wirt isn’t Wendy . . .”

It was so obvious. It was astounding that such a simple fact couldn’t come to him naturally, and he’d needed Mabel to tell him this. Wirt wasn’t even close to Wendy. And really, Dipper had never compared the two, not even once. Wendy had been a temporary crush; it was real, but it faded away. Then he met Wirt, and he felt an immediate connection, and he tried to get over that, too, a very long time ago. Clearly that didn’t work, because here he was.

Dipper sighed then, leaning into Mabel, and blinking his eyes often, because the tears never fell and now his eyes were burning like hell. Mabel hugged him tighter, and he let her.

“I’ve never been so . . . it’s not natural to be this scared around the person you l-love” He mumbled.

“Sure it is. It’s all part of a relationship. People talk about the ‘honeymoon phase’” She mocked, getting a weary laugh out of Dipper, “But no one talks about the time when everything you do together causes horrible anxiety. It’s natural and it doesn’t go away, but it gets better. I mean, remember when I started dating Pacifica?”

“You were fifteen”

“Yeah, but like, do you remember how I spent most of my time in ‘sweater town’?”

Yeah, he remembered. Mabel kept her sweater pulled over her face almost every time she thought about Paz, and every time she came back from a date with her, and . . . after their first kiss (that was a fun day).

“ . . . Okay” Dipper paused, finally removing his face from his hands, “Thank you, Mabes”

“You’re welcome. And now that you’ve calmed down, I can tell you that he may have been looking at us, but it definitely wasn’t for the reason you think”

“What makes you so sure?”

“I just do” She smiled brightly, showing as many of her perfectly straight teeth as possible. “Now, let’s get back before we have a disgruntled Pacifica and a worry-Wirt on our hands”

Dipper snorted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want this chapter to be too long because nothing really important happens in it.  
> Anyway, HOW MANY OF YOU WERE MISSING GREG??? ? ??  
> Because . . . . . next chapter.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard to write for me and I don't know why, that's why it's a little late.  
> BUT I did decide that I will DEFINITELY write a Pinescone Monster Falls fic. So, look forward to that.  
> I might even start writing it while I'm still writing this story so that you guys have two stories to read from me.
> 
> I'm also an artist and I wanted to draw pics from my stories for you guys. I know some of you are from Tumblr, so my art will come up in the Pinescone tag under the user name Amavirra-Art (No guarantee's though, because my art space is a mess and it's too uncomfortable to work in)
> 
> Also, If there is a huge gap between this chapter and the next ( which there shouldn't ) it's probably because I caught strep from my brother. Hopefully, I don't catch it.

“ _AGH!_ ”

Wirt yelled, or more like made a very loud startled noise, as he shot up in his borrowed bed. This proved to be a terrible mistake as demonstrated by the resounding ‘Bam’ the echoed throughout the second story of the shack when his head collided with the slanted ceiling.

“WIRT!?” Dipper shouted, getting up from his own bed.

His head throbbed mercilessly from the impact, and his heart palpitated as well. Wirt dropped back into the bed and cradled his head, moaning in pain and curling his body in on itself, ignoring the sheets that were tangled around his legs. The blood rushed through his body painfully, and he could feel his heart beat in the tips of all his fingers, which served no purpose but to make him feel sick to his stomach.

“Hey, man, you okay?” Dipper in a gentle voice, placing a firm hand on his taught shoulder.

Wirt sighed deeply at the touch, and then he winced when it caused his head to drum even harder. “N-not really . . . I guess”

Honestly, the pain in his head wouldn’t be so bad if his heart wasn’t pumping blood through his body faster than his skull could handle it. And his heart wouldn’t be pounding if it weren’t for the nightmare he’d been ripped from. And the nightmare wouldn’t have happened if he could just _get over himself_.

Three years since their journey into the Unknown, and he was still freaking out it. He still dreamt of a dying Greg; roots entangling his body, killing him slowly and holding him still for all time. The Beast would laugh at how pathetic he was; he’d laugh at how terrible of a brother he was. The light would leave Greg’s eyes, and he would cry out that it was all Wirt’s fault.

And it was. Why did it still bother him to know he was to blame for everything?

Damn, all this was just making his chest ache on top of his head pains.

“Do you, um, Is there something I can do for you?” Dipper asked quietly, as to not jostle his brain cells any more than he already had.

“ . . . Help me sit up . . . ?”

“Okay, um, where do you want me to . . .?” Dipper fumbled. Wirt watched as Dipper reach out for him, then retracted, then moved his hands awkwardly towards him again.

“Just guide me so that I don’t hit the ceiling again, please” Wirt whispered as he began to sit up with his eyes closed, trying to keep his head and stomach from spinning.

Without saying anything, Dipper’s hand moved from his shoulder to the back of his head. He pushed down on Wirt’s head when, he assumed, he was getting to close to the wood panels above, and let go when Wirt had settled comfortably. The bed dipped and Wirt opened his eyes to find Dipper staring at his, while he rubbed his back soothingly.

_Don’t sit too close, you might figure out my secret._

_But sit closer, because I need you right now . . ._ Wirt frowned. He really needed those arms around him right now; and not just giving him a sideways hug. If those hands were going to rub his back, he wanted them reaching around from the front. Their chest would touch, and Dipper could tell him everything would be okay. Jeez, he’d never felt so needy before in his life, but he guessed three years of pining for your best friend could do that to you.

“God, you’re shakin’ bad” Dipper told him, concern lacing his words and his shinning in his eyes, “What happened?”

All of a sudden, he was completely aware of how hard he was shaking, just like the day before. “I-I had a bad dream and, uh, and I sat up too fast . . . that sounds so dumb”

“It’s not dumb. Do you want to talk about it?”

Wirt gulped. _Sure, should I tell you that it’s been two days and I’m actively freaking out about my brother, because I haven’t been able to check on him these last two nights? I sneak into his room to see if his God damn heart is still beating before I can get a full night’s sleep. Back in tenth grade, when you were away the weekend of Halloween, me and Greg fell into a lake and almost drowned. Instead of drowning, we got lost in a creepy forest and we met a talking bird who said she would help us find our way home by taking us to some freak-show named Adelaide. There were monsters and creatures that I honestly have mixed feelings about. I treated Greg like shit and victim blamed him for everything, every chance I got, but he still thinks I’m great for some reason. Adelaide was a bitch, Beatrice betrayed us, and I turned into a tree. Greg got spirited away, and he almost died because OF ME. . . I’m scared of losing him, and I’m scared of what you’ll think of me when you find out I was this close to killing my own brother . . ._ “I d-dream about Greg turning into a tree . . .a lot”

Was that vague enough?

“Sounds fun” Dipper mumbled sarcastically.

“I don’t e-even know where t-they come from . . .” _Really, you’re going to lie again?_ Dipper sat quietly without ceasing his hand. He rubbed in small circles, but the longer they sat there, the slower he rubbed as the circles got bigger. It was soothing, and gentle. _He cares about you, and you’re still lying_. “A-actually, they come from an accident he had t-three years ago,” _Don’t! What are you doing? You’re lying again!_ “He f-fell over the cemetery wall back home, in Massachusetts. I was hanging out with Sara and everybody else . . . and, well, we were at Eternal Garden, and Greg followed me there. He climbed the tree . . . we had to take him to the hospital” _I can’t believe I just did that right to Dipper’s face._

Wirt panicked slightly when Dipper stopped all his movements, removed his hand from his back and inhaled deeply. _Oh God, he knows I’m lying to him! He’ll be so mad and-_

“That really happened? Was he okay?”

“He, uh- it was like nothing had happened” _You are scum. You know damn well that both of you will be affected for life, and you don’t deserve any sympathy for what you did._ “It’s why I didn’t bother telling you about it when you came back . . .”

“I-I see” Dipper stuttered. “Well, thanks man, because - for telling me now - yeah”

Dipper was so genuine in that moment and he saw the tiny smile on his face; it made him wonder why he hadn’t told him all this sooner. And then he remembered he didn’t even tell the truth, so there wasn’t really anything to be excited for right now. That little bit of weight lifted from his shoulders would come crashing back down the moment Dipper found out the entire truth, and Wirt knew he probably wouldn’t be able to stand it. It’s the same reason their parents still didn’t know that the incident had been his fault. His mother didn’t know her eldest child almost killed her youngest.

“Hey,” Dipper caught his attention, “This is reality, as shitty as it may be. Greg isn’t going to turn into a tree”

 _If only you knew_ , “Yeah . . . thank you, Dip”

The overall feel of the room changed then. A morning glow had seeped in. Both of them sat on that old bed, staring at the triangular window and the intrusive beams of light coming in, which were deceiving because it was common knowledge that in the summer, the sun could rise at six o’clock and there was nothing you could do about it. So, was it six in the morning? Was it nine in the morning? Whatever the case; sleeping in was out of the question.

And Dipper wasn’t making any move to leave, so he asked, “Um, what about you?”

“Huh?”

Wirt swallowed and re-adjusted quickly, “Have you been sleeping well?”

“I have . . . but I get nightmares too, you know. I just haven’t had any recently”

“O-okay. Just wanted you to know that I’m here for you, too.” It would be ridiculously selfish for Wirt to have Dipper comfort him every time he had a bad dream and not reciprocate. He couldn’t expect that much out of Dipper.

“Thanks man . . .” Dipper mumbled happily.

From then on, they just sat quietly together, comforting each other with just each other’s presence. Or, at least, that’s how it felt to Wirt. He took advantage, because he didn’t know he would ever get to do this with Dipper again after today.

_I don’t want this to end._

.

_One week later_

.

The stairs cried loudly as both Dipper and Wirt ran down them, straining under their combined weight. Of course, Wirt wouldn’t be running if Dipper hadn’t been running, himself.

In his excitement, Dipper almost forgot to remind Wirt about the broken step, but he couldn’t help it. His feet stomped the ground at the bottom, almost face-planting gracefully, but that couldn’t keep him from smiling. They started into the gift shop, and immediately, Wirt walked directly into a stand of post cards. There was a ‘clang’ and the sound of stock paper clattering onto the wood flooring; all the while Wirt adorned a look of distress across his face, as if it was the end of the world that he’d just knocked over a few pieces of paper.

“I didn’t mean to do that . . .” Wirt whispered.

Dipper giggled uncharacteristically, and began to help put everything back in their rightful places. Once they were done, Dipper wiped his hands on his pants and readied himself to go.

“We’re heading out, Grunkle Stan!” Dipper called out into the house, his hand already on the door knob that would lead them to freedom.

He glanced over his shoulder at Wirt, who was just steps behind him, and gave him a wide grin. Wirt smiled back, and Dipper swore his eyes glistened, which only made him smile wider. He wanted to take Wirt somewhere special today, and he was really excited about it. Judging by Wirt’s actions, he was pretty excited too. It was nice to know that even after this morning, Wirt was showing signs of getting accustomed to what it was like to live in (freak-show) Gravity Falls.

So, with everything being fine and dandy, he wanted to take him to –

“You ain’t goin’ anywhere, kid” Stan yelled back from wherever the hell he was, “You haven’t had a single shift since you got here, so get your ass in the gift shop and man the register”

_Perfect_

“Okay” He said dejectedly, a low as possible so only Wirt heard him. Dipper was so reluctant to release the door knob that he purposely slid one finger off at a time just to buy some more time for himself.

_All my plans dashed away in just a few seconds . . ._

“Hey, we’ve got all summer, r-right. Plus, it’s not like the day is a right-off because of one shift.” Wirt tried to reassure him, but he didn’t look to pleased himself, “I-I could help out if that makes you feel better?”

 _You’d be just as upset as me if you knew what I had planed . . . or at least, I would hope you be upset_ , he sighed.

Dipper smiled sadly, and slid his already prepared bag off his shoulder with a huff, “I appreciate it, man” The bag made a scratchy sound on the ground as Dipper dragged it across the ancient wood panels of the shack until he tossed it against the counter in the gift shop, where it would stay for the majority of the day. “Employees only behind the counter, but if you want you can sit _on_ the counter”

“I’m not going to do that” Wirt laughed.

“Mabel does it all the time-”Dipper shrugged his shoulders apathetically.

“That is _not_ going to change my mind” He laughed again, his shoulders shaking with his voice.

The shop opened for business for the first time that day, and Stan was taking the first batch of tourists through the attractions. Then they would pile into this room and try and fight the urge to buy cheap trinkets; an urge most people couldn’t overcome in the worst of tourist attractions. Of course, he’d have to deal with each and every one of them complaining about the prices, and he’d have to grin and tell them the prices were non-negotiable, which was the part he hated the most. But what could he do? He didn’t own the place, after all, he just lived and worked there. All they could do was wait around, now.

All he could hope for was that Wirt wouldn’t be bored out his fucking mind.

Wirt leaned with his arms crossed onto the counter, sticking his rear out, definitely by accident. It looked somewhat like he was trying to flirt with him, but Dipper knew Wirt better than that. Even if Wirt liked him that way, this kind of flirting was absolutely not his style. If he was aware; it was just shameless. Regardless, Dipper found it very hard not to stare. The counter was pretty tall, so it wasn’t like Wirt was completely bent at the waist, but _Wow, he has a perfect butt._

Then, Wirt shifted on his feet, causing his backside to sway slightly. “You’re gonna kill my brain here, Wirt” Dipper whispered in his not-so-subtle whisper voice.

“Hm?”

“Nothing!” His voiced cracked, and he tried to play it off with a very loud cough, but no amount of pretending could quell the beet red colour creeping up into his cheeks. Also, he felt the need to take his hoodie off (is it hot in here?) and wrap it around his waist all of a sudden. “Y-you know, if you get tired of standing around with me, you can waddle around the shop. It’s going to be another twenty minutes before anyone even comes by”

“I think I’m good. I want to hang out with you” Wirt said with sincerity.

Dipper couldn’t help the smile the crept onto his face, as he bowed his head in elation. He tried pursing his lips to stop his really obvious smile, but trying not to smile was just hurting his cheeks.

“Cool,” He blushed, “But I don’t want to bore you, either”

Wirt hummed as his face turned red and his arm came up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly, “Boring . . . is good too, you know. I-I mean, just being with you is good enough. If we were always doing something, I’m pretty sure I’d be socially spent by now . . . d-does that make sense?”

His heart swelled, “ . . . Absolutely”

They were both momentarily distracted by Stan’s voice getting louder in intervals, like he was yelling at someone, but he usually reserved his yelling for when he was trying to show people the Face-Rock (Rock . . . Face?). He must have been talking to one person in particular, but they couldn’t hear the other person at all. But seriously, was he really screaming at someone in front of an entire group of tourists? _That man is getting senile, I swear._

“That’s not very professional” Wirt whispered, probably thinking Dipper hadn’t heard him.

Dipper, though, guffawed horribly loudly, palming Wirt’s shoulder from across the counter for support. “Understatement of the century, dude!” He gasped for air.

Suddenly, the ‘Employees Only’ door swung open and bashed against the opposing wall, and a tall-ish woman stepped over the threshold, laughing her ass off. Her red hair was cropped short under her chin, and she wore a short summer dress, and with that; she still wore giant boots caked with mud. The dress had a plaid print in green over the entire thing. Wendy never changed.

“Wendy!”

Wendy looked up at Dipper’s voice and sauntered over with a huge smirk across her face, pretending she didn’t miss him at all and said in a very vapid tone of voice, “Hey, dude”

“Get over here” Dipper laughed, still a little giggly from when Wirt made that comment, and approached Wendy from around the counter, arms wide open fully expecting her to hug him. With a roll of her eyes, she spread her arms unenthusiastically, but after knowing her almost six, Dipper knew she was just teasing him about not missing him. He hugged Wendy close, arms wrapped tightly around her.

“I missed you, man. University is the worst” She patted his back, while she mumbled into his shoulder, “Finally taller than me, eh?”

“Well, it was bound to happen someday”

“I was betting on never”

“Moment’s gone. I don’t want to hug you anymore” Dipper exclaimed and held Wendy’s body at length away from his own, joking of course.

Wendy chuckled and made her way over to Wirt, who’d been forgotten over by the counter. Dipper mentally slapped himself; _I can’t believe I actually forgot he was here. I am literal trash. Period_

“Hey. Wendy Corduroy” Wendy calmly introduced, her hand out and ready for shaking.

“W-Wirt” Dipper bit his lip as Wirt tentatively took Wendy’s hand and shook it very carefully. And boy was it ever weird. It was just so ironic, watching his first crush and his current love shake hands for the first time. It didn’t make sense, but having them meet finally made him feel vulnerable. Like, he’s suddenly turned into an open book. They were silently comparing and judging him telepathically, he just knew it.

“It’s good to meet you. Dipper talks about you a lot, like, _a lot_ a lot” Wendy smirked up at Wirt.

Wirt blushed. So did Dipper. Wendy snorted at them both. Basically it was all going downhill.

“You’re so easy”

“W-Wendy, please” Dipper begged. He pulled the bill of his cap down over his face to hide his shame. _I don’t wanna see Wirt’s face now . . ._

“Chill out, man.” She smacked him on the shoulder, knocking his hat askew in the process, “Teasing you is too much fun, but I’m only a little sorry”

“I figured” He said off-handily, rubbing his shoulder that didn’t actually hurt necessarily. He didn’t realise he was slowly making his over to Wirt’s side. You know, too busy worrying about how mortified he was currently. When he bumped shoulders with Wirt is when it clicked in his mind what he’d done, and he took one step away awkwardly, his face warming drastically. “So . . . was it you Grunkle Stan was yelling at?”

“Oh, ya hear that, did ya?” Wendy chuckled as she placed herself behind the counter, Dipper and Wirt now on the other side, “I snuck into the tour without paying, and Stan noticed me halfway through. I’ve been working here for years, and I’ve never taken a proper tour, so I figured, ‘Why not?’. Plus, I wanted to announce my arrival in the most convoluted way possible.”

“Convoluted? That’s quite the word you just used, there-”

Wendy then made a sound of recognition, tapped her temple, then motioned at Dipper’s face, “University, dude. It does things to ya”

A chorus of laughter emanated from both Dipper and Wirt, and Dipper was excited when he found Wirt leaning on his shoulder.

“By the way, before I forget, there was a boy on the tour who said he knew you guys and he couldn’t wait to see you”

Their laughter died down, and Wirt met his eyes, brows furrowed in confusion. Wirt thought for a minute, and Dipper saw the recollection shine in his eyes.

“D-Did he happen to tell you his name?” Wirt eagerly asked, facing Wendy full-on.

“Ge- uh, George? No, it was Greg!”

 _Oh, that’s great! He’ll be so happy_. And he was right. Wirt looked ecstatic, kind of like a man who was going to see his new born child for the first time. Which seemed silly, but he totally understood the sentiment. Wirt had a relationship with Greg that could rival his own with Mabel. He breathed out happily, making a huge smile, and it was very contagious because Dipper found himself smiling too.

Like he and Mabel, Dipper knew that even as short a time as one week apart was hard for Wirt. He missed Greg a lot, and it made him a little sad that he couldn’t really do anything about it. Wirt wasn’t the type to ‘burden’ (Dipper didn’t think it was a burden, never) with his insecurities, or anything, really. He was a very logical person, but felt like his inner thoughts and turmoil weren’t, so he’d hold everything in. Dipper wished he’d just realise that his feelings were not stupid and he wanted to help.

But maybe now, Greg could help. Greg could do for Wirt what he couldn’t.

“ – n’t forget to buy something in the gift shop” Stan lead the group of tourists into the room with them. They stumbled in one by one, spreading out to get their looks at the merchandise, highly useless chunks of plastic, he might add. But there was always a charm in gift shop souvenirs, so he wouldn’t judge.

And in came a little nine year old boy on a mission, scooting past anybody who dared get in his way, grinning like a mad man. His eyes darted around the room frantically, probably (most likely, definitely) looking for Wirt.

Soon, his wide hazel eyes fell on him and Wirt, “WIRT” Greg sprinted forward, limbs flopping around as he ran, because _he’s a dork_. He careened straight into Wirt’s chest, Wirt huffing out at the impact, as Greg wrapped his arms around his brother’s body and wriggled eagerly. Dipper laughed at Wirt struggling to hold Greg in a hug. Then Greg placed his chin and neck against Wirt’s chest and looked up at his tower of a brother and giggled, “Hi”

“Hey” Wirt said breathlessly, “What are you doing here? Who- how did you get here? Please tell me you didn’t come here alone . . . wait, you wouldn’t be able to come here alone, they would have stopped you at the airport – forget I said that. Who brought you here?”

“Aunt Kat” He said simply, “Mom and Dad asked her if she would go on vacation with me because I missed you”

“Are you sure you didn’t subtly hint that you ‘wished someone loved me enough to take me to Gravity Falls’?” Wirt chuckled, with his tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek.

Dipper bit his lip and stuck his fist out, mouthing the words ‘pound it’ to Greg, who complied with an enormous smile on his face.

“Don’t encourage him, Dip!”

“Dip?” Wendy raised a brow, questioningly.

“It’s just a nickname. Move along” Dipper said quickly, his voice cracking _again_. He couldn’t let this conversation continue on as it was. Wirt was not allowed to know that nobody but him could call Dipper ‘Dip’, and neither could Greg, because he’s a nine year old with absolutely no filter. It was special to him, so what if Wirt suddenly felt uncomfortable and stopped calling him that nickname?

Thankfully, Wendy kept her mouth shut, but she eyed him, basically telling him silently that she wanted the whole story later.

“Excuse me, I’m ready to check out” Everyone turned to a middle aged woman whom was standing with a handful of items and addressing Wendy behind the counter.

“Sorry, I don’t officially start working again until tomorrow” She shrugged.

The patron sputtered in confusion, pursing her lips and shifting from foot to foot.

Dipper was almost ready to scold Wendy playfully, when he remembered that he was the one who was supposed to be behind the counter, ringing out customers. Now it was his turn to sputter as he scrambled to get around the woman and back to his post. “I apologize for my friend, she was raised by wolves” When the woman nodded –which nobody had expected- Wendy began shoving at Dipper’s hip with her own hip. He tried to stay upright while scanning all of this woman’s purchases. It was pretty hard considering Wendy was stronger than him, and it was getting increasingly harder to keep a straight face. “Thank you, t-TELL YOUR FRIENDS! STOP POKING ME WENDY!”

Dipper didn’t see the way Wirt was looking at them.

The woman left in a hurry, and as she passed through the exit, Pacifica waltzed in right after, completely ignoring the distressed woman. She waved her perfectly manicured hand in greeting, but instead she said, “Who’s the kid?”

“HI, I’m Greg!” Greg detached himself from Wirt, whom still looked a little out of it. The boy ran up and stopped short of hugging Pacifica, remembering that it was polite to introduce himself first, before hugging strangers. Dipper laughed internally at the memory of when he first met Greg.

“Pacifica” She said with a tiny smile, flicking her shortened as if it was still down passed her butt.

“Your hair is beautiful” Greg said, without a trace of insincerity.

“Thanks,” Pacifica replied awkwardly, then she bent down, not by much for she was pretty short to begin with, and placed a finger on Greg’s chest, “I . . . like your shirt”

Greg looked down at his ‘Entertain me, I’m bored’ shirt and smiled, “Thank you”

“PAZ!” Nearly everybody flinched, including the patrons, at the much unexpected screech the resonated through the shop. Dipper swore he saw someone faint, or y’know, he was exaggerating, but Mabel had that effect on people.

Speaking of Mabel, she came sprinting into the room at full speed and kissed Pacifica full-on the lips in front of everybody.

“Whoa, unwanted PDA. Nobody wants to see that, Mabel” Wendy joked.

Mabel gasped and spun around so fast her hair whipped her in the eye, “WENDY!” She hopped up on the counter and coiled her arms around Wendy’s neck, “What took you so long to get here?”

“Uh, I’m lazy?” She laughed as she hugged Mabel back.

Greg, back in Wirt’s arms, hummed at everything he was seeing, “You’ve got some cool friends, Wirt”

“Speaking of, Paz and I are going shopping again, and you’re coming with, Wirt”

Completely shocked, Wirt stared at her wide-eyed, “Wait- what?”

“You know I had plans with him right?” Dipper asked incredulously.

“And do you really think I didn’t hear Stan completely ruin those plans all the way from upstairs?”

“Can I come with you guys?” Greg asked.

“Sure” Paz said.

“The more the merrier” said Mabel.

“Wait, you have to ask Katrina!”

“Aunt Kat’s okay with it. ONWARDS!”

“Greg, you can’t just-”

“Bye, Dipper! We’ll bring them back in one piece”

“ _MABEL_ ”

And just like that, the shack quieted almost entirely. Dipper and Wendy were left by themselves.

“Well,” Wendy started, “that was fun”

The sound of Dipper’s forehead smashing onto the counter shattered the newly found silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID YOU GUYS MISS GREG? You're lying if you didn't lol.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the biggest so far.  
> I wanted to make a shout out to nour386 and Nichts from Tumblr, just, thank you guys.

A limo

Wirt had not been prepared for that.

The world was ending, he was sure of it. Wirt was sitting at the very back of a stretch limousine belonging to the richest girl in Gravity Falls alongside his little brother. He barely knew Pacifica Northwest, yet here he was, in her limo, heading to the Mall, so he could go shopping with his best friend’s sister, her girlfriend, and his little brother, but _without his best friend._

_Dipper, I am sending this message to you telepathically; please help me!_

He tried to sit perfectly still, hands in his lap, to ensure he didn’t ruin anything. The floor was _carpeted_ for shit sake! And he didn’t dare breathe too deeply, he might wrinkle the faux fur covering the seats. Knowing him, just sitting there was ruining the integrity of this magnificent vehicle.

On the other hand, Greg was having a ball, jumping around in his seat, exhilarated by the notion that he could see out the tinted windows, but nobody on the outside could peer in, “I’ve never been in a limo before! Wirt we’re in a limo!”

“I’m aware” Wirt laughed awkwardly, still trying to move as little as possible.

“Wirt, you can relax. I wouldn’t care if you set this thing on fire, my parents can afford it” Pacifica told him.

“U-um, regardless” He mumbled in her direction.

“So, Pacifica,” Greg said as he slid out of his seat and climbed over to Pacifica and Mabel, completely undeterred by Mabel laying in Pacifica’s lap, “You’re rich, right?”

“Greg” Wirt warned non-threateningly.

“Yes” She replied.

“Is there any chance you’ll buy me something?”

“Greg!”

“Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me, Wirt” Greg smiled mischievously, “Will you please buy me something?” And Greg, the little turd, grinned so wide his cheeks forced his eyes shut as he put his hands together and brought them close to his chest.

“GREG” What happened to the polite little boy he was years ago?

“Wirt, its fine. Better to spend my family’s money on my friends than on . . . whatever selfish thing my parents are going to spend it on . . .” Pacifica mumbled with contempt. Mabel sighed and reached up and placed a hand on her cheek in comfort, while Pacifica accepted it by leaning into the touch.

“Do your parents make you sad?” Greg asked sincerely, clearly not thinking before speaking.

Wirt said nothing this time. Arguing with Greg at this point wouldn’t do much good, and frankly, he was a little curious. He didn’t want to pry, so maybe he should tell her she didn’t have to answer that if she did not want to. But, before he could get it out, she spoke.

“They do” She sighed, “But . . . it’ okay, because I have good people around me. Like Mabel” Then she paused and thought for a second, “And you and your brother”

That made Wirt stop, his breath stuck in his throat.

Pacifica barely knew them, how could she say that? She’d known him just a week and she met Greg only minutes ago. Well, he could say the same about her, even though he knew her only a week as well. She was rude sometimes and hid herself behind a wall of curt insults, but she definitely had a heart of gold (irony at its finest). But his chest constricted when he realised; if she knew their past, there would be no plausible way she would still feel that way about him. He wasn’t a good person.

_You can’t just change your ways and expect everything to go your way. . . It doesn’t change who you are . . . who I am._

The limo made a jerking movement, signaling that it was entering the parking lot of the shopping centre. Wirt looked out the window for a quick glance of the building before they would enter. It was bigger than he had been expecting. Although, he wasn’t sure why he thought it would have been anything less. No, he did know; the town this Mall resided in gave the impression that the Mall would have been a little more ‘hick’, if that made sense.

Suddenly, the door popped open, causing Wirt to jump out of his skin, and the driver stood there holding it open for them. Greg was the first to scramble out of the limo, thanking the driver with gusto. Then he waited for Pacifica and Mabel to step out. He always felt better if he was the last person to leave or do things because there was less pressure put on him. If he was last, there was less margin of error, or at least if there was error, he wouldn’t be holding people up for it. He wouldn’t be in anybody’s way.

Sadly, that wouldn’t be the case now.

“Sir?” Wirt jumped again, this time when the driver leaned down to eye level, looking at him in confusion.

Behind him stood Greg, “Are you going to get out, Wirt?”

Wirt turned to the girls, whom were looking at him strangely. Then he looked down at the seat; they couldn’t get past him. Greg had done so easily because he was smaller, but Pacifica and Mabel were the same age as him, and that certainly made them bigger than Greg, didn’t it?

He could feel his entire body getting warm with embarrassment.

So, this entire time, they’d been waiting for him. “S-sorry, eheh” He gulped as he scooted clumsily towards the opened door.

And so, he tripped on his way out of the limo.

He recovered quickly, trying his best to pretend that hadn’t just happened, and it really helped that Greg nor the driver he seen his little blunder.

“And what time shall I return for you, Miss Northwest?” Said the driver, bowing to Pacifica as she stepped out.

“I’ll call when we’re ready. Thanks for, y’know, driving us”

The driver, Wirt noted, was shocked to hear this, “It . . . it is my pleasure, Miss-”

“Oh, please” Pacifica shut him up. Then she stepped up to him and handed him a hundred-dollar bill, “Don’t tell my parents I gave you that, and don’t you even try to give that back to me!”

“B-but, but Miss, it is my duty to drive the Northwest Family. You need not pay me-” He tried to insist.

“John, shut up. We both know you’d rather be doing anything than driving my sh- crappy family around. Take yourself out or whatever- I don’t care what you do with it” And with that, she started off towards the entrance of the Mall, Mabel’s hand in hers. Greg followed them in like the previous conversation was an everyday occurrence.

Wirt however, watched as the driver continue to stand completely astonished. Clearly, this didn’t happen often.

Pacifica really was a good person. She could have done this act with a little more class, but she was still a good person.

 _I should get going now, before they realise I haven’t been following . . . If they noticed._ Wirt turned and pushed open the glass doors to the shopping centre. Greg, Mabel and Pacifica were just inside the entrance, waiting for him. He gave them a small smile, and everybody was off.

“So, where to first?” Wirt asked sheepishly.

“PET STORE” Greg yelled, earning the looks from a few shoppers, as he took off running in a random direction.

“The pet store is the other way, Greg” Mabel called, barely containing her giggling.

“ONWARDS AND UPWARDS” Greg turned around, totally undeterred, heading back in what was supposed to be the correct direction, running with his fist in the air.

Within less than a minute, the four of them were stepping into the pet store, the harsh smells of a multitude of animals assaulting Wirt’s senses. Despite the smells, the store itself was very uplifting, as pet stores always are. Birds chirped and kittens meowed, and if he strained his ears, he could hear the trickle of fish tank filters. It was calming.

“Wirt, look at the frogs they have!” Greg, surprisingly, calmly dragged him through the isles until they were standing in front of four tanks, housing little frogs. “None of them compare to Jason Funderberker, but they’re cute” He said matter-of-factly.

“I agree” Wirt chuckled, “By the way, where is Jason Funderberker?” _I still regret calling him that._

“Mom and Dad are taking care of him. I wanted to bring him, but they said it wouldn’t be a good idea, so I wanted to bring him something when I go home in three weeks”

“You’re only staying for three weeks?” _Wait, duh._ Any longer than that would be illogical, but a mere week made more sense than three.

“Yeah” Greg said dejectedly.

“ . . . So, we’ll have to make these three weeks really fun, so you don’t miss me when you go home. Now, what were you thinking of getting for Jason Funderberker?”

“Well, I was thinking of new rock for his tank, but he’s running out of room . . .”

“Yeah, he is a pretty big frog . . .” Wirt mumbled, “Well, buy him a new rock, and when I come home at the end of the summer, we can go get him a new tank. One he fits in” He offered, putting his arm around Greg’s shoulder and pulling him into his side. Greg smiled, and Wirt couldn’t help but smile back when Greg wrapped his arms around his waist.

“You’re the best brother ever”

“I can buy a bigger tank for your . . . thing. Your frog” Pacifica said, suddenly appearing behind he and Greg.

“Really?” Greg asked.

Wirt shook his head, trying to reason with the blonde, “No, Pacifica you don’t have to do that.”

.

“Thank you, Pacifica” Greg smiled.

The four of them took a seat in the food court, then. Greg struggled to place the brand-new frog habitat onto the table, so he opted to place it on the ground beside his chair, which just gave Wirt anxiety, because it was expensive and Pacifica had paid for it without a second thought and what if someone stole it.

Wirt silently grabbed the box and put it on the table for his own peace of mind.

It was still a little early, so most of the vendors were still closed, but those that offered breakfast were bustling with the morning crowd. Mostly old folk who were engrossed in their breakfast eggs, or for some brunch, and though it was bustling, it was nice and quiet.

“So, how long have you two been dating?”

Wirt could’ve had a heart attack right then and there. Greg just asked the girls about their love life . . . sort of.

But totally unaffected, Mabel answered after she dropped her head onto Pacifica’s shoulder, “Four years” She giggled and mewled. In response, Pacifica kissed her forehead and moved her chair closer to Mabel’s. Wirt laughed when Greg balled his hands and rested his chin on them, sighing audibly, entranced by the girls’ displays of affection.

Again, he found himself wishing he could do something like that with Dipper. Maybe, he could text him right now.

Then, Pacifica made eye contact with him, frowning slightly.

_Why . . . ? Am I making a weird face? I must have done something wrong._

“Greg” Pacifica started, “Do you want me to buy you some breakfast?”

Greg in turn stared at her in confusion, “But I already ate”

“Doesn’t matter. We can get breakfast smoothie, if you want”

“Okay!” And he was gone.

Pacifica got up, and then she bent down to whisper in Mabel’s ear. He didn’t hear what she said, but he knew it must’ve been about him. Should he prepare for the worst? Probably

“Be back in a sec” Pacifica kissed her one last time and left to catch up with his brother.

Alone, with Mabel, he’d never felt so vulnerable. She wasn’t staring him down or anything, but she may as well have been. The silence between them was worse than he could ever imagine. _She must be mad at me or something._

“Wirt, what’s wrong?” Mabel piped up.

Wirt stuttered, “I- well, I was going to ask you that actually. Did I do something wrong?” He paused a second, “I made Pacifica uncomfortable, didn’t I?”

“No, what? No” Mabel inhaled, “She’s actually worried about you. She said she sees you looking at us a lot”

Oh, shoot. They noticed him staring. _Of course they did! You really thought no one would notice you ogling at them?_

But she and Pacifica were evidently concerned about him, and he truly appreciated that. If only they knew their concerns were for not.

Mabel leaned in towards Wirt, the cafeteria chair creaked under the shift of her weight, “Wirt?”

After a deep breath, Wirt whispered, “I envy you and Pacifica”

She looked slightly shocked, but the look withered as she asked, “Why?”

“I-It must be so nice to just be with the one you love. You can just enjoy each other whenever you like without fear.” He laughed bitterly, “It was hard for me to do that even when I was with Sara.”

Mabel sat back with a small, sad smile, “It’s not all peaches and cream. I’m dating the richest girl in town. Her family is important, and she has a reputation, and I’m always scared that by being with me, I’m dragging that reputation through the mud. I feel insecure all the time, especially in public. I feel like people are looking at us and wondering why someone like Pacifica is wasting her time with someone like me.”

Hearing this, Wirt felt awful, “God, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t even . . . that was really insensitive of me.”

They weren’t so different; he and Mabel. Obviously, the differed in personality, but everybody had their fears, his and Mabel’s just happened to be fairly similar. And you couldn’t really compare everyday anxiety to an anxiety disorder, but he knew Mabel’s feelings were true, and he would never dismiss that. Mabel looked at him with the same eyes she shared with her twin. He wanted to look away, but it was like looking at Dipper, and he was somewhat tired of looking away from him. So, he wouldn’t look away from her, either.

She spoke in a tender voice, “Don’t be sorry. Don’t ever be sorry for wanting love . . .”

“Well, I mean . . .” _What can I say here?_

Suddenly, Mabel stood from her chair and took a seat much closer to him, “. . . Wirt, I know you like my brother”

“O-of course I like Dipper” Wirt sputtered.

“Don’t you even try to pull that junk with me, you know what I mean” Mabel laughed lightly, shoving his shoulder in turn.

“A-am I that obvious?”

“Yes”

“Oh lord” Utterly ashamed, Wirt dropped his head to the table, wrapping one arm around, and the other lay atop his head.

“Don’t worry though, Dipper’s too much of a goober to realise it”

“Good, I d-don’t know what I’d do if he found out” He mumbled into the fabric of his sleeves.

There was a pause, but then, Mabel spoke very low, “You two could finally be happy . . .”

“What?” He didn’t hear her clearly, but did she really say that? They’d be happy? _I-I must be hearing what I want to hear._ What did she mean by that, though?

Wirt couldn’t picture it. He could see himself trying to tell Dipper his feelings; stuttering and mumbling incoherently. Dipper would be intrigued at what he’d have to say, trying to decipher his prattling speech. And then, when he finally figures out what Wirt would be trying to say, he’d frown. He’ll feel disgust and confusion. How long this has been going on, he’d ask. Wirt would answer, and Dipper would feel all his trust flitter away.

He’ll probably hate him.

And now he felt his heart break. Dipper wasn’t that cruel, yet this was the only scenario that made sense to him. _It won’t happen like that_ , he thought. But he couldn’t even believe those words, no matter how hard he tried. _Dipper won’t hate you!_ He tried again.

_But even he doesn’t hate you . . . what if he never trusts you again?_

“Listen, Pacifica and Greg are coming back.” Wirt pushed those thoughts back when he saw his brother come back with a giant colourful cup in his hands, sipping away happily. “So let’s go get you something nice!”

“Oooh, Wirt’s getting something nice? Where are we getting that?” Greg asked, after which he went right back to sipping his smoothie.

“What, no? You don’t have to get me anything” Wirt tried to refuse.

Mabel stood abruptly, the chair scraping along the tile floor and screeching throughout the open cafeteria, which had filled significantly, “Too late, we’re doing it. I wanna get you a hat”

“Why a hat?”

“Because I think you’ll look good in a hat, that’s why. Pacifica agrees, right?”

“Sure, whatever” Pacifica shrugged indifferently.

“Good. It’s settled” And before Wirt could say anything else, Mabel grabbed his arm and yanked him from his chair. Wirt nearly stumbled again, but kept his composure. He looked back at the table, worried about the box they bought at the pet store, and exhaled in relief when he saw Pacifica silently grab it and proceed to follow her girlfriend like this was normal. Greg fell in step with Pacifica, and that’s when he felt calm enough to take his eyes off of them so he could see where Mabel was dragging him off to.

A good twenty second power-walk later, Mabel stopped in front of a small shop, her hand still resting on his arm. Wirt almost expected her to take off again, so he refrained from getting too comfortable, lest she zoom away like a race car while he was still ‘attached’ to her. But she didn’t, thankfully. She stood there, giddy as all hell, as they waited for Pacifica and Greg to catch up.

“You guys are too fast!” Greg called from afar, leaving Pacifica’s side in favour of getting to Mabel and him a little faster. Although, he slowed his pace when his smoothie sloshed up and out of the cup and down his hand.

Mabel giggled at Greg, and then she let go of his arm finally and pushed him into the store, “C’mon, in we go”

The store consisted of clothing only; the trendiest and most relevant fashion statements covered every wall. The back wall, Wirt saw, was covered in hats. There were many different types, and every type came in an assortment of colours. They were going to be here a while.

Mabel and Greg had already approached the wall and were picking hat upon hat for him. Of course, Mabel was actually choosing hats that looked nice, but Greg was simply copying Mabel by grabbing any hat he could reach. Wirt stood back and watched from what he deemed as a safe distance. Soon, Pacifica was at his side, watching as well.

“Do you actually think I’ll look good in any of these?” Wirt asked, feeling his anxiety rising again. He hadn’t worn a hat since Halloween three years back, and as he recalled, he suffered from terrible hat hair.

But before Pacifica could even turn her head, Mabel slapped a hat on his head with a ‘pap’.

“Start with this” Mabel said as she pushed him towards the nearest mirror.

Wirt snorted immediately.

On his head was a ball cap, red and white with a very cramped logo; it was too big on his head. It just didn’t suit him the way it would suit Dipper. “No” He continued to laugh as he took it off.

“Alright, scrap the ball caps” Mabel and Greg dropped all the caps they had in their possession, “This one then?”

Wirt looked, a simple fedora was in Mabel’s hands. He almost knew the answer for this one, but he tried it on anyway, for Mabel’s sake. It didn’t feel good on his head, but it looked nice. Also, he didn’t like the stigma that came with such a hat, sadly. He already didn’t like labels, so he didn’t want to deal with people who would look at the hat and not at him as a person. He shook his head sadly and handed it back to Mabel.

Greg stepped up and tossed a tuque at his brother, “This one, Wirt” Greg looked so excited; Wirt knew even if he hated it, he’d be buying this hat. He couldn’t say no to Greg. He put it on, and smiled at his reflection. The hat was mostly solid navy blue, with asymmetrical stripes running vertically to the left of the hat. It fit his head comfortably, and if he wanted, it was big enough to pull over his giant ears. Also, it didn’t force his bangs to sit flat against his face.

He liked it.

“That looks nice on you” Mabel beamed.

“Put that in the yes pile” Wirt tugged it off, fighting not to cringe when he caught a glimpse of his hair in the mirror.

“Really!?” Greg grinned, launching into his brother’s chest.

“Yes, really. Now somebody hand me another hat” He laughed.

With new found excitement, Mabel handed Wirt a random hat, probably expecting him to like everything now that he’d found something he liked. Except she handed him another tuque, with ‘#SWAG’ stitched into the rim and a hideous pompom sitting on top.

“Nope”

“Aw, Wirt” She pouted.

Then, Pacifica tapped his shoulder. He turned to her, while she handed him a solid black beanie. For some reason, he felt the fabric between his fingers before attempting to put it on. He waited for feedback from the girls and his brother before he would check the mirror. Pacifica shrugged, Mabel smiled brightly and Greg gave him a thumb up.

Wirt looked in the mirror. It was . . . nice. “I like it. Does it come in any other colours, though?”

“I think I saw a red one” Pacifica said simply. She sauntered off in search of the hat, leaving Wirt to stare at himself.

Wirt was slightly startled when behind him, he saw Mabel’s reflection in the mirror, wiggling her eyebrows ridiculously.

“Okay, okay,” Wirt laughed, “You’ve convinced me. I like the hats, but I’m going to pay for them, got that?”

“Fine” Mabel rolled her eyes. Then she leaned her head on his right arm, looking into the eyes of his reflection. She looked saddened at that moment, like she was contemplating whether or not to say something. Her face revealed that she’d made her decision and she opened her mouth, “He likes you too, you know”

“Wait . . . what?”

“Dipper, he likes you back” She sighed, “Sorry, Dipper wanted to be the one to tell you, but I just –”

“. . . yeah right” Mabel’s reflection changed in the mirror and Wirt winced.

She removed herself from his shoulder, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He likes Wendy, doesn’t he?” Wirt spoke to the reflection, unable to face Mabel truly, “He says he over her, but you see the way they are together. He looks so . . . well, he looks like he’s having fun. He looks happy when he’s with her.”

“Well, yeah, they’re good friends, but Dipper doesn’t like her that way anymore.”

“Please don’t lie to me. I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

Mabel stepped in front of Wirt, blocking his view of the mirror, her eyes looking desperate, “Wirt, I’m not lying to you. I promise.”

 _Don’t look at me with his eyes, please._ “Even if you’re telling the truth, even if I told him how I feel and by some miracle we started dating, it wouldn’t last. He’ll see how lame I am, he’ll wonder what he ever saw in me, I mean look at me!”

“Wirt, don’t say th –”

“I’m ugly, and gangly, I’ve got crippling anxiety and I can barely function; I almost killed Greg. I –”

“Greg?”

 _Oh, no._ No no no no, what had he done? He’d said too much. This always happened! Why couldn’t he just keep his mouth shut!? “. . . Oh, god . . . D-don’t tell – please, don’t tell him. I can’t – God, I’m the worst!”

“That’s not what happened . . .” Greg’s voice cut through their conversation. Wirt had completely forgotten Greg was there. He looked down at his brother, whom was looking at him wistfully.

Wirt looked down at his feet, “It’s exactly what happened, Greg”

Greg shook his head vigorously, “I don’t think you’re remembering that right-”

“No, Greg. You’re the one who doesn’t remember” Wirt snapped.

Wirt broke then. He gazed up to Greg’s face from where he had been looking on the ground. Greg had shrunken in on himself, but he wasn’t crying; he’d always been good at that. Regardless, he looked crushed, and clearly had not been expecting Wirt to yell at him. It hadn’t been planned either. Wirt hadn’t exactly yelled at Greg that much since The Unknown, really. Then he felt a single tear run down his face.

_You called me the best brother ever, earlier today, but I can’t understand why you actually believe that._

_I didn’t mean it Greg._

“Greg, I’m sorry” Wirt whimpered as he wiped that tear off his face, “I shouldn’t have yelled, because you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Not saying a word, Greg hugged him again, silently telling him he was forgiven. Yet he didn’t feel like he deserved it at all.

“You wanna just pay for this stuff and head back?” suggested Mabel.

Wirt nodded.

.

_‘Thump Thump Thump’_

“Dipper, dude. You’re gonna concuss yourself”

 _That’s the idea_ , he thought, not even close the ceasing what he was doing. Hitting your head against a counter was just so appealing, y’know? It has its benefits, like the possibility of knocking himself out and literally sparing him from the burdens of life, if only for a little while. Everything was working against him, truly everything.

Dipper wouldn’t be making much progress like this, would he?

“Listen, I know you don’t work until tomorrow, but can you ring people out so I can find which one of these people is Aunt Kat before she has a heart attack” He mumbled into the counter, his voice vibrating off the wood.

“Yeah, man” Wendy chuckled, “But I’m going to give you a hint; I’m pretty sure it’s that woman over there”

Dipper lifted his face and peered into the store. There were only two women left roaming around, everyone else was male, and Wendy pointed at a very short lady. She was distraught, biting her lip and checking under, over and around every display and every shelf. She hadn’t said anything, but that was probably just to keep from attracting attention. This was Katrina.

“Thanks” Dipper said to Wendy. He stood up straight, rubbed his now throbbing forehead, and placed his hat upon his head to mask the budding red welt that was definitely forming on his face.

Dipper approached Katrina and tapped her gently on the shoulder, “Excuse me, are you Katrina?”

Katrina (he hoped) flinched and turned around wide eyed, “Oh, u-um, yes I am. Do you work here?”

“I live here, actua-”

“Please, tell me you’ve seen my nephew! His name is Greg, and he’s this tall and –” She spoke frantically as her hand shook while she tried to show him exactly how tall Greg was.

“Greg is fine, I promise. He went shopping with Wirt. It all happened so fast that Greg didn’t bother to check in with you” Dipper reassured.

Katrina deflated in relief, taking Dipper’s hands in her own, “Thank God. Wirt; that boy” She shook her head with a loving smile.

“Hey, if anything, Wirt tried to get Greg to ask you for your permission” Dipper chuckled awkwardly when he couldn’t tell if she was blaming Wirt or not. While he spoke, he led Katrina to the cash register, hoping it would calm her down a bit.

“Oh, he would. But Greg is so forceful in his own unique way. It’s hard to say no. And Wirt is such a gentle child”

“I know, it’s one of the things I like about him” He said without thinking.

Dipper only realised what he said when he was back behind the counter, and Katrina said, “You must be Dipper, then”

Dipper stared shocked at Katrina, until she elaborated, “Wirt’s not very good at recognising facial cues or people’s emotions, through speech or otherwise. He never understood that he actually had more friends than he believed he had. But he always talks about a boy named Dipper that, and I’m quoting him, ‘actually likes me and wants to hang out with me’. He couldn’t tell when other children like him, but for some reason, he knew you liked him”

He never knew that. Wirt thought he was his only friend? Like Katrina said, he may have had friends, but if he couldn’t tell, he probably felt so alone. Living a life where it feels like every one hangs out with you solely out of pity could not have been a very comfortable one.

_Oh, Wirt . . . I hope I’ve never made you feel like I was pitying you, not even for a minute . . ._

“Would you mind if I hung around until they get back?”

“Nah, sure. Pull up a non-existent chair”

“Actually, would you mind if I used your bathroom?” Katrina asked meekly.

“Yeah, you’ll have to go through the ‘Employees Only’ door, pass through the living room and go up the only set of stairs, and it’s the first door you’ll see”

“Thank you, Dipper” Katrina seemed reluctant to go through a door most people could not pass through, but she clearly needed a restroom, for when he finally stepped through the door, she did it with gusto.

And so, Wendy and Dipper were alone again.

“He sounds like quite the catch” Wendy uttered.

“Who?” Dipper’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.

“Wirt, you dope”

Dipper slid his hat off his head, “He is” he sighed longingly, running his fingers through his hair slowly.

She rolled her eyes at him. “When are you going to tell him?” Wendy’s voice raised an octave with every word.

The hair he was previously running his fingers through, was now being pulled at in frustration, the pain from his roots reverberating through his skull. So fast, Dipper had gone from thinking fondly of Wirt, turned into contempt towards the current situation. This was just so annoying, “I was going to tell him today . . .” Then he motioned wildly at the counter, then the entire room, “But this happened! I was going to take him somewhere special, and tell him I love him!”

Suddenly, he felt sick. This was the first time he had actually said those words out loud, and the weight of their meaning hit him like a ton a bricks. Yes, that phrase swirled in his mind constantly, but he’d never felt the words on his tongue before. Other people told him he loved Wirt, but maybe he just hadn’t believed whole heartedly that it was true. Yet, four years, like everyone said, was a long time for someone to simply be ‘crushing’ on an individual, so why he never admitted to himself that it really was love, he didn’t know.

Dipper loved everything about Wirt, and he didn’t just love Wirt; he was _in love_ with Wirt. “I . . . need to sit down a sec”

“You okay?”

“No” Dipper answered quietly. He leaned against the back wall, and slid down until his bum touched the floor. A customer or two stared, but he couldn’t care less about that. Right now, he was concentrating on keeping the contents of his stomach _inside_ of his stomach.

The hat was a nuisance in that moment. The fabric felt restricting, and he felt itchy now. The hat he’d owned and wore for years, a constant in his life, he’d always worn a hat. It wasn’t comfortable. He wanted it gone. Get it off! Dipper ripped it off and tossed it to the floor, inches away from his feet.

And for good measure, he removed his hoodie from his waist as well.

“Better back up, pretty sure I’m going to puke . . .” Dipper mumbled, dropping his head into his hands, and then his hands to his knees so the backs of his hands rested on them.

“Dude” Wendy gushed, “That’s how you know”

“Know what?” Dipper raked his hands down his face in exasperation.

Wendy kicked her boots off and dropped to the floor directly in front of Dipper, legs crossed, despite the short dress she wore. “He’s the one” She pulled his hands away from his face and looked into his eyes, “You really love him”

Dipper sat and stared, his eyes beginning to burn, then he took an exceptionally deep breath to keep from crying, “Yeah, I do”

“I’m happy for you,” Wendy smiled, “Don’t let this one go”

“I’m not going to force him into something he doesn’t want, though” Dipper averted his eyes, “If it’s not meant to be, then it’s not meant to be” Right, he had morals, you know. You don’t just say ‘I love you’ and expect a relationship, because that’s not how it works. The other party has feelings, too.

“Y’know, not that I’ve known him for very long, but based on what I saw and what Katrina’s been telling us, you don’t have anything to worry about.” She breathed, giving Dipper a hard stare.

The sound of the shop door opening grabbed their attention, and Mabel’s voice calling out for them, “Dipper, Wendy, where’d you go?” Wendy stood, leaving Dipper on the floor. He wasn’t exactly ready to stand up anyway, but he still needed to greet his friends, so . . .

“We’re here. We were on the floor, though” Wendy smirked down at him, but directing her words at Mabel.

“Wendy” Dipper whined.

“Dipper, you gotta see this tank Pacifica bought for me!” Greg yelled, “Oh, hi Aunt Kat”

“Hello, Greg, you naughty boy” She must’ve returned from the restroom.

Dipper stifled a laugh; picturing Greg’s every movement despite not being able to see him from behind the counter. A little boy running in with a giant box in his arms, obstructing his sight, stopping on a dime to greet his Aunt like everything was all good. It was funny to him.

 _I should really get off my ass_ , he thought. So, Dipper stood, just as Wirt was stepping over the threshold . . . and immediately tripping into the display of pine hats. A handful of hats tumbled to the floor, including one Dipper didn’t recognise, all while Wirt cursed words that weren’t actual curse words, most likely for Greg’s sake. Dipper bit his lip in amusement, blushing at his clumsy best friend. But he almost bit his lip right off when Wirt picked up the odd hat and shoved it on his head, adjusted it and stood up straight.

Wirt looked . . . _so attractive_ in that beanie. It . . . wow. It was like looking at an entirely different person. It was amazing that a simple hat could make such a difference. It was still Wirt, but _oh man, it’s just a hat, get a grip! Geez, it’s ridiculously shallow to have heightened feelings just because he’s wearing a GOD DAMN HAT!_ He fell in love with Wirt as he was, and now he was fawning over what he looked like in a hat.

Or maybe, it was simple endearment. He’d always thought Wirt was attractive, and maybe that one variable (the hat) was just making Dipper hyper aware of something he already knew about him.

“Like what you see?” Mabel whispered into his ear out of the blue.

Dipper jumped and almost reeled on her, while she grinned like a mad-women. “Oh, sure, make fun of my feelings, and just leave him to struggle with those hats” He shot back in a whisper. Although, he didn’t know he looked ridiculous because of the deep red colour his face had taken on. He stomped around her and proceeded to strut over to poor Wirt.

“Dipper! Hey, hi” Wirt fumbled as he approached, his cheeks turning pink to match Dipper’s.

“Need any help?”

“Y-yeah, thanks Dip”

They collected the hats silently for a while, until Dipper said something he hadn’t really planned on saying, “You look great”

Greg and the girls said nothing. They watched from the sidelines, everyone hoping for the same thing; for these two dorks to be a little less thick in the head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't know if it came across properly, but I was trying to hint at Wirt having Asperger, like me. Cause I can tell ya, when I watched OTGW for the first time, I'd never connected with a character as much as I did with Wirt in my entire life.
> 
> More monster encounters are on the way I promise. I actuallt cut out a bit from this chapter whee Wirt and Greg see glowing eyes again in the distance as they're leaving the mall, so I'm gonna make up for that in the next few chapters.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SO SO SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT  
> Of course, the holiday season kept me from wanting to write, but when I finally came back to writing, I wrote the prologue for Here, there be Monsters. And every time I tried to write this chapter, I would be able to write like two sentences, and then I would get writer's block, and it happened over and over until like yesterday.  
> So here it is . . . . . . . .very late.

At four-thirty in the morning, Wirt was waddling down the rickety staircase in a groggy state of sleep-deprivation. Only half paying attention, he struggled to keep his slippers on his feet, which he decided to start wearing around the house to keep from acquiring unwanted splinters in his feet, as he yawned the rest of the trek down the stairs. Which could be construed as dangerous, because you close your eyes, or at least mostly, when you yawn. In retrospect, maybe he shouldn’t have been trying to walk down flimsy wooden stairs that he knew full well had a giant hole near the bottom, in the dark, with his mouth wide open in a yawn. Maybe he just didn’t care.

Wirt slept very well, surprisingly. Yet, despite how well he slept, something had woken him, and now he couldn’t fall back asleep, no matter how hard he tried. So, he gave up. And now, being up so early in the morning, which would easily be described as night to most people, he was starving. Whatever, he was awake now and practically at the landing, anyway.

He inwardly cringed at the unavoidable clopping noise the bottoms of his slippers made on the hard wood flooring. He was sure to wake somebody.

Soon, he was kitchen, and it made absolutely no difference on how loud his foot falls were. So, he tried to collect the ingredients for a simple bowl of cereal as fast as possible, but at the same time, trying not to be the clumsy oaf he always was. Knowing himself, there was a good chance of shattered bowls and cereal strewn about the floor in his immediate future. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, and he meandered to the table, that had been pushed back against the wall, and placed everything down. Well, mostly everything. He hadn’t grabbed the milk because he didn’t want to chance trying to maneuver with both wet and dry items at the same time, considering how there were more dry items than wet to deal with.

The fridge was just an arm’s reach away from the table, and without really moving from his spot, Wirt popped it open with his fingers and watched it swing open slowly. The gentle hum from the cooling mechanism and the little spot light filled the room, while the light also illuminated the general area with a yellow glow. He spotted the milk carton, and then approached to retrieve it.

Once the milk was in hand, Wirt closed the door, and suddenly felt uneasy. The room became so eerily quiet. He would have blamed it on the fact that the humming fridge had created a steady noise, and without it, the room only felt quiet. But there was something more to this. The kitchen seemed even quieter than it did when he first stepped in. All noise was absent, save for his breathing. There wasn’t even a trace of white noise. _But that’s not possible, right?_

He didn’t move. His eyes darted around the room a few times, his chest tightening, and his fingers tapped the carton nervously. When he did move, he decided his first priority was to make noise, just to fill the silence and to calm his erratic nerves. In this moment, he was desperate for sound, and (embarrassingly) relished in the sound of the cereal clinking into the ceramic bowl.

Then came the milk. Wirt sighed through the nose as he twisted off the cap, glancing around the room one last time despite the fear bubbling up in his chest. This proved to be a mistake when the little natural light coming in from the window was obstructed suddenly, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Wirt. He went still, staring quizzically out the window that was now pitch black, like a void. He couldn’t see any trees, or well, anything for that matter. It looked as if someone had placed a tarp over the glass to block any and all light from entering.

Wirt swallowed a lump in his throat and tore his eyes away so he could pour the milk into his bowl like he initially planned. Again, though, he dared a glimpse back to the window, completely terrified of what he might see . . . and he was right to be so.

The window was clear once more, but beyond the vicinity of the Mystery Shack, at the border of the forest, stood a tall lanky black figure; one Wirt was all too familiar with.

Everything felt like it was frozen in time, as Wirt looked at an antler clad, glowing eyed monster. The Beast

_Oh My God_

_OH MY GOD_

All the air left his lungs in a shuddering breath, his entire body shaking with fear. He dared not blink. What would happen if he took his eyes off the Beast for a mere second? What was he doing here anyway? It wasn’t possible, it just wasn’t. He got rid of him in the Unknown . . . or did he? Wirt eyes burned as he remembered that he never actually blew out the lantern; he’d handed it back to the woodsman. What if the woodsman kept the lantern in the end? He wouldn’t know, because he left with Greg before anything else could happen . . .

Without warning, the carton of milk slipped from his fingers and splatted to the floor, spilling all of the remaining milk down the cracks in the wood. Wirt flinched hard at the sound and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes, the Beast was gone.

 _I-It must be the lack of sleep . . . I’m seeing things. Oh God, my legs are shaking._ He gulped loudly and looked down at the milk on the floor. _I-I should clean that . . ._

“Wirt?”

“ _Holy-_ ” Wirt screamed, losing his footing in his shock and accidentally kicking the leg of the table, causing a terrible screeching of wood dragging across wood. A throb resonated through his foot, and Wirt grunted as he began hopping on his other foot and using the table for balance. What sucked was that he just so happened to hop around in the spilt milk, splashing up onto his pant-leg, which would definitely make it smell rancid, he was sure.

“Oh. Oh, shit. I didn’t mean to scare you . . .” The voice of Mabel cried out, her arms out towards him in a calming gesture.

“Oh, Mabel . . . What are you doing up?” Wirt sighed, dropping his stubbed foot back to the floor, all while his heart pounded at an alarming rate.

Mabel yawned and ran her hands through her scraggly hair, scowling when her fingers got caught in some knots, “I could ask you the same thing”

“I, uh, something woke me up and I couldn’t fall back asleep” Wirt shrugged, looking back down at the milk that was slowly permeating the wood.

“I see,” Mabel stepped closer, yawning again. “Mind if I join you?”

“Why would I?” Wirt laughed quietly, making his way to the counter top that held the roll of paper towel. “Jeez, by the time I finally get to sit down and eat, my cereal will have already gone soggy”

“That’s quite the dilemma, but if it helps, I could eat it for you” She smugly grinned, plopping herself into a kitchen chair with little grace.

“Get your own bowl,” Wirt started as a joke, then he looked down to his hand, where paper towel designated to clean up the last of the milk that he spilt resided, “Actually . . . there’s no milk l-left. S-sorry”

Mabel giggled and to hide his embarrassment, Wirt dropped to the floor and clumsily began soaking up the mess. He miscalculated how much paper towel would be needed and only realised when he felt the slimy milk soak through the towel onto his hand. _Eww_. Next thing he knew, Mabel was on her knees as well, with a wad of paper for herself, as she wiped what Wirt couldn’t, what with the horribly saturated paper and all.

Wirt chuckled, “Thanks, but y’know, I-I made the mess, I can clean it” _Did you forget the part where I’m totally and utterly uncoordinated?_

Mabel simply shrugged, “This is faster” _But, you don’t have to . . . it’s my mess._

They were done faster, she was right. Well, of course she was right, it was dumb to think otherwise, really. Man, sometimes he really could be the dumbest person he knew . . . behind Jason Funderberker. Regardless, two heads were better than one, as they say. _Well, now I’m just making excuses to not feel so dumb._ Wirt mulled over, what he thought was, the ‘obvious’, while he and Mabel finished up and tossed away the used paper towel.

Mabel was first to sit back down at the table. Wirt sat slowly, eyeing Mabel as he did. Now that the mess was cleaned, he needed to get something off his chest, and it started with a question, “Hey, um, this question is probably stupid and the answer is predictable, given the circumstances, but, uh, do you ever f-feel like you’re being watched . . . around here?”

“Pretty often, actually. Why?” Mabel looked at him quizzically.

“I just- something outside – I swear I saw something and then it vanished” Wirt garbled.

“Well, knowing Gravity Falls, you probably did see something. I can almost guarantee it” She stopped, then she tacked on, “Not to scare you or anything!”

“No, no, I’d rather you didn’t sugar coat this stuff,” Wirt got out quickly, already feeling the beginnings of tremors wracking his body, “I’d rather know what’s out there then to come across it without, um, protection or any knowledge on how to deal . . .”

“That makes sense. You should mention it to Dipper, he might know what to do”

Would he? Would Dipper know what to do? If anybody knew what to do it would be Dipper. But this was the Beast, here, and Wirt wasn’t even sure if he was actually seeing the real Beast or not. Maybe he was just hallucinating; he’d like to believe it was all just an illusion. On the other hand, what if Dipper already knew about the Beast? What if the Beast was as common in Gravity Falls as, for example, the gnomes? It wouldn’t surprise him if Dipper was already adept at fighting tall-ass tree demon -things.

Even so, the Beast wasn’t exactly a monster he would want someone as important as Dipper to try an deal with. _Dipper is the type of person to jump into things for others without even a second thought. He’d probably kill himself if it meant saving someone else, and he probably wouldn’t hesitate, either. If I mention the Beast at all, he might . . ._

“I don’t think I should . . .”

Creaking started above their heads, so they both looked up. Wirt chuckled when he stared at the ceiling, realising he wouldn’t see the source of the sound just because he looked in its general direction. _I really am going crazy_. Its not like it was much of a mystery; the only people sleeping upstairs were Dipper and himself, and it couldn’t exactly be Wirt, now could it. He was starting to wonder if these guys ever slept in, like, _ever_.

Wirt heard the overly dramatic yawn first, as Dipper came slogging down the stairs, before ha actually saw his best friend. He almost regretted looking at the archway. Again, Dipper’s disheveled appearance was just so appealing. His hair dawned the cutest curls; the epitome of the phrase ‘bed head’. And it was terrible for his hormones, because Dipper didn’t seem to notice how low his pants were sitting on his hips, and his slightly round stomach showing from under his shirt when he stretched and _oh, boy_. He needed to keep calm in front of Mabel. She may have known his feelings, but that didn’t mean he wanted to accidentally get hot n’ bothered in front of her.

_But Dipper, you’re not helping, please stop, I’m going to have a heart attack! Or worse . . ._

Then, Dipper scratched his lower tummy, which only pushed his pants down lower. Wirt looked away quickly, his face feeling warmer by the second. Also feeling warmth elsewhere, he prayed to every deity he could think of that it would _GO AWAY!_

Thankfully, neither of them seemed to notice, and Mabel even started a conversation with Dipper about his facial hair, of all things, “Whoa, look at your beard today, Mountain Man” Mabel laughed while holding back a yawn behind her hand. “Better watch out, you might start looking like Manly Dan”

“Heh, does it make me look rugged?” Dipper chuckled while stroking his van dyke with his thumb and finger.

_Yes, it does. You look amazing . . ._

“Scrufty” Mabel replied without hesitation.

“Aw, what?”

“I’m kidding, you look very manly” Mabel leaned towards Wirt, shaking her head, “So fragile”

“I don’t care if it’s manly, I wanna know if it looks good, and ‘scrufty’ ain’t exactly a synonym for ‘good’” Dipper whined at Mabel while making a funny (snarling) face.

Wirt sat back and silently enjoyed the show, y’know, after he calmed himself down a little. He always found amusement in watching Dip and Mabel go at each other’s throats, in the metaphorical sense, of course. They bickered half-heartedly with insults and big hand gestures. It reminded him of how he and Greg would shush each other, which they still did, granted.

Mabel bit her lip and motioned at Wirt with a sway of her head and a cute little wink. But Wirt only knitted his brows, because he did not understand what she was doing, and without words, it was even harder to figure out. She looked exasperated and visibly deflated, and then she tried again. This time, making sure Dipper couldn’t see her; she pointed at him with both hands desperately, and mouthed ‘say something’.

He understood then, and he couldn’t be any more distressed if he tried. Wirt shook his head violently in protest. Mabel stuck her lip out in a sad pout. Wirt only shook harder.

What was Mabel thinking? She wanted him to say something!? Nope. Did they not have this conversation yesterday at the mall? Wirt didn’t want to draw attention to his feelings for Dipper. Mabel truly believed Dipper felt the same for him, but Wirt . . . wasn’t ready to take that chance.

_Or maybe, this is a step in the right direction._

_Baby steps . . ._

Wirt closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gathering up all of his courage, “. . . It’s . . . attractive”

_Or, you know, giant leaping bounds!_

All of a sudden, there was a loud clatter, shocking both Wirt and Mabel. Wirt’s heart was racing again, and he looked up to the source of the sound.

Wirt felt his breath hitch as he looked on at Dipper, whom stood statuesque above a pile of shattered ceramic bowl. Dipper’s eyes were wide, looking at nothing in particular, and unblinking. His face was red (and he meant _red_ ) and honestly, Wirt could feel his own reddening the longer he looked at Dipper’s face. _Did I do that? There’s no way I did that . . . right? I overstepped my boundaries -_

Not that he could figure it out himself with Mabel having a mini seizure trying to quell a laugh Wirt was sure would be ridiculously loud and sudden.

Wirt cringed at the face Dipper made at Mabel. He was red all the way to the ears, and his eyes were hard and accusatory, with brows furrowed and lips pursed. Then he stomped away to the nearest closet and produced a brush and the brush pan that went with it. Wirt felt he should help and stood from his chair, then made his way to the mess so he could collect the biggest pieces of the broken bowl.

Dipper approached and opened his mouth to protest Wirt’s actions, but Wirt simply took the brush and pan from Dipper’s hands, and then pointed at Dipper’s bare feet then to his own slippered feet. “I’ll get this”

Dipper reluctantly backed away, but he did not bother to find a spot at the table with his sister, whose shoulders were still shaking.

“. . . You think it’s attractive?”

The sound of ceramic dragging across wood ceased as Wirt halted his brushing. He looked up, entirely expecting a look of annoyance or disgust upon Dipper face, but instead, Dipper had his arms crossed over his stomach, standing slightly hunched, and eyes off to the side, deliberately avoiding eye contact. Did that mean he wasn’t angry? And if that was the case, Dipper was probably uncomfortable, _I mean look at him! But, I can’t take it back now._

“I-I, well . . . yeah” Wirt said, as he started to clean again, hoping to hide his embarrassment, “I do” _It’s not just the beard, Dipper . . ._ “It’s more attractive than anything I could grow, eheh” _. . . Wait. . . What did I just say?_

Dipper let out the most floundering laugh Wirt had ever heard, “I . . . highly doubt that . . .”

 _IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING!?_ At this point, the world would have to invent a new shade of red to describe his face as it was right now. Even more so when he noticed (and Dipper as well) that Mabel had left the kitchen. It was just them. Being weird and paying really . . . really awkward compliments to each other. Oh, dear. Wirt knew he had to stop before he said something incredibly wrong that would creep Dipper out, and then it would lead to an awkward silence, which would test the limits of their friendship, and then he’d have to go back to Massachusetts without him, and why did Mabel leave the room, this . . . was getting ridiculous . . .

Mabel was doing this on purpose, wasn’t she?

_She wants me to suffer._

“I could help you . . .” Dipper said, “With the beard I mean . . .” 

“Are you joking? I can’t tell if you’re joking” Wirt laughed manically, “I-If you’re serious, I’m fine with clean shaven, thanks” _I can’t even look him in the eye. What if he’s actually considering helping me with my facial hair? That’s too weird. Yes, Dipper, I want you to help me grow a BEARD. I mean, I wouldn’t mind hanging out in the early mornings just talking about hair growth techniques if it means more alone time with him. But, like . . . ugh. What is wrong with me?_

“Don’t worry, I was kidding, but we could still talk about hair” Dipper smiled mischievously, biting his lip in Wirt’s direction.

“W-We can?”

“Yeah, because your hair looks like it’s trying to be part of the mile-high club”

Brows knitted, Wirt scrambled for the closest reflective surface, which happened to be a spoon, and checked his head. And he thought Dipper had bed head. This was even worse than his hat hair! Most of his hair was pointing straight up, but what was the most shocking was that his bangs weren’t even remotely calm either. “Wow”

“It’s cute, though” Dipper laughed, “Want me to fix it?” This was clearly a rhetorical question, for he was already leaning across the table and running his hand through Wirt’s hair.

At the touch, Wirt shut his eyes, and repeated one phrase in his head, over and over; _Don’t moan_. Of course, it was difficult, because Dipper was working his scalp tenderly, not like someone who was just fixing a friend’s hair at all. As Dipper worked, the room grew quiet, so quiet that he could hear the blood rushing through his body with every beat of his quickening heart. He focused on the fingers, the nails the dragged across his skin slowly, and the hair that pulled when it was pushed against the grain. Subconsciously, Wirt licked his lips, and crossed his legs under the table.

Right then, Dipper changed the way he was touching him. It was more sporadic, and definitely a lot more like a friend, rather than a, well, lover. It went from gentle caressing, to something more akin to smacking a pillow with a stick. Wirt opened his eyes to a blushing Dipper, again.

“Something tells me you’re not actually fixing my hair” He whispered.

Dipper stopped, but he kept his hand in Wirt’s hair, and he wondered if he said something wrong. But Dipper just stared into his eyes, his fingers still and warm. What was he thinking about? There was so much to see in those eyes. It was like looking a wonder itself. _What do you see, when you look at me? What are you seeing right now?_ Oh boy, he really wished he could read minds.

_Or, do I? What if he’s thinking that I’m disgusting for enjoying this? Maybe he knows I like him and he’s toying with me, he thought glumly. No, we’ve been over this. Dipper is not that cruel!_

Wirt suddenly became aware that Dipper was moving his hand again, but down his face, cupping his cheek. He couldn’t breathe . . .

“PPBBBBFFFTT, OH MY GOD” Dipper cackled, warranting a tight flinch out of Wirt.

“W-What is it?” _Oh, God. He’s laughing at me!_

Dipper hooted and wheezed, sinking in his chair with his arms wrapped around his stomach. Wirt had never seen Dipper laugh so hard. “Y-Your hair, is – hoo – I made a m-mess of it. Oh, you should see it! It’s even worse than before!”

Now, completely paranoid, Wirt brought the spoon back up to his face in a hidden panic. If his hair wasn’t ‘sticking up’ before, this was ridiculous. His hair was literally pointing in every direction, like an urchin. A good word for a hairdo like this would be unsalvageable, which was a total lie, because one good shower later would have it back to normal, but to the untrained eye; the word remained ‘unsalvageable’.

Wirt pouted, “Remind me to never let you ‘fix’ anything for me ever again”

“NOoooo” Dipper whined like a toddler, sprawling out on the table in a clearly fake, but humourous tantrum, “I’m sorry. Don’t take away my privileges”

“Touching my hair is a privilege? Dude”

Dipper switched off as fast as a bullet, from throwing a fake tantrum to serious business, “Absolutely”

Wirt was laughing now, but there was no doubt his face was red (as if it’s been any other colour all morning).

Then, out of nowhere, Stanley’s hand came down hard and slammed on the table, making Wirt and Dipper jump up, “I swear on Shermie’s life, if you guys wake me up like this _one more fucking time-_ ”

Stanley looked absolutely horrid, with deep bags under his eyes, glasses crooked, and mussed up hair (like he was one to talk). He didn’t look like he had a very good night sleep, and he supposed waking up to the sound of broken ceramic and the laughter of your great-nephew wouldn’t really help, at all.

Wirt was going to apologise, but his brain didn’t seem to get the memo, and what came out instead was; “Who’s Shermie?”

“My Brother”

“My Grandpa” They said at the same time.

“I see” Wirt said quietly, “Mr. Pin- Stan, have you seen Mabel? She kind of abandoned us.”

“Shower” Stan answered simply and monotonously.

.

**_Knock Knock Knock Knock_ **

“ _For the love of-_ , IT IS FIVE- THIRTY IN THE MORNING!” Grunkle Stan hollered, practically spilling his coffee in his annoyance.

_**Knock Knock Knock** _

“Dipper, I need you to get that, because I might just murder whoever is on the other side of the door . . .” Stanley began rubbing his temples angrily.

 _Five-thirty in the morning – I get the feeling I know who is at the door. Bet myself five dollars._ Dipper chuckled at his own thoughts. He stood from his chair, leaving Grunkle Stan and Wirt alone at the table. As he walked, he adjusted his shirt and pajama pants. He was about to answer the door in his pj’s, he needed to be somewhat presentable. But honestly, anybody showing up at your front door at this time in the morning did not have the right to expect anything more or judge you on your early morning appearance. But because he was sure he knew who would be at the door, he figured everything would be fine.

Dipper let out one last yawn, then he twisted the door knob. The door creaked open, and without even looking out, Dipper said “Morning Greg”

Greg laughed, “How did you know?”

_Heh, I owe myself five bucks._

Katrina stood behind him, wearing a sweater, but also pajama bottoms, “I’m so sorry” She yawned, “I couldn’t get him to wait until opening hours, I mean, we haven’t even had breakfast”

“I wanted to come see Wirt. A-and you, I wanted to see both of you” Greg said with a huge grin.

“Yeah, you think you’re funny. Get in there” Dipper ushered Greg into the shack with a tap of his hand, “Wirt’s in the kitchen”

He and Katrina watched Greg speed through the foyer, if one could call what they had a ‘foyer’, and chuckling when they could physically see Greg get that little bit more excited when he spotted Wirt through the archway to the kitchen. _Wonder if my love for Wirt could ever rival Greg’s._

Dipper turned back to find Katrina fidgeting in the doorway “Are you sure you don’t mind? I mean, this is Wirt’s visit and _your_ home, if he’s imposing, we can go sight seeing or something” Katrina mumbled.

“Nah. We love having him around, he’s like a brother to me” And he really meant it.

Dipper spoke with Katrina, discussing plans and when she would be around to pick Greg up, and then she left.

When Dipper returned to the kitchen, everybody was gathered around the table. Grunkle Stan looked slightly more awake, Mabel was fully clothed in her outfit for the day, her hair still dripping, and Wirt with Greg climbing into his lap like a toddler, and Wirt berating him for making Katrina drag him out here. Dipper was, of course, expecting everybody to be in the kitchen, but he hadn’t expected a warm feeling in his chest when he looked upon the entire scene. His family, and his best friend and his little brother, but together, it just felt like family. This is how it was meant to be, or at least, that’s what it felt like. And if Pacifica was present, it would feel even more so.

But as these thoughts crossed his mind, he looked over to Wirt.

_I want so much more with you . . ._

While he was staring, Wirt stood up and handed off Greg to him, holding Greg out like he weighed almost nothing, and he wasn’t, like, nine years old, “I dub thee Honorary Older Brother, take your new brother. I’m going to take a shower, now” _Oh, no. Don’t picture him taking that shower. Do NOT picture water running down his beautiful body, and don’t picture what kind of noises he makes when the warm water satisfies him . . . not while you’re holding Greg, not while you’re standing in front of your sister and your Great Uncle._

“Okay,” Dipper said, hiding his inners sins behind a smile.

Wirt smiled back, and then he vacated from the room and up the stairs towards the only bathroom in the house. Seconds later, Mabel called Greg over, and he squirmed his way out of Dipper’s grasp to sit beside her at the table. Just as well, she could occupy Greg while he finished his breakfast. First thing he did when he sat back down at the table, was reach for his orange juice, and bring the cup to his lips, tipping it back with shut eyes.

“So Dipper, when are you going ‘ta tell my brother you love him?”

And Dipper, completely shocked, coughed into his orange juice, causing it to spray all over his face. “GUH” He exclaimed, eyes squeezed shut trying to keep the juice out of them.

Grunkle Stan started to laugh, and gave Greg a high-five.

 _If only I could murder both of you in your sleep_ , Dipper thought, as he glared at his Grunkle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said, there won't be any sex in this fic, but like clearly there might be some sensual touching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .probably.  
> And sensual make out sessions later XP
> 
> Anyway, the next two or three chapters will be filled with STUFF, like monsters and hiking in the creepy forests, and yeah. Stuff like that


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Porn without plot - WHOOPS
> 
> So, this is what I had when I got stuck, and then I realized that the problem was that I couldn't add anything to this chapter without making the entire chapter all choppy. So, it's not very long, but there is a little bit of plot in there that will lead into the next chapter, so I apologize, but you may have to read this chapter, or at least the first bit, whether you like nsfw content of not . . .  
> If you like this type of content, HAVE FUN (lol)

“Dipper”

Dipper wiped his face with disdain, removing the onslaught of orange juice, knowing his face would be sticky, anyway. He paused, paper towel covering his mouth and nose, leaving his eyes free to glare at the nine-year-old that was currently speaking to him again. “Greg?”

Greg grinned triumphantly and wiggled off his chair to stand in front of Dipper’s chair with his hands on his hips. Dipper held back a laugh as he watched Greg try so hard to compose himself and look threatening before him. Greg’s lips quivered as he tried to remove the smile on his lips, and he cleared his throat, too. “Dipper” He said again, his tone deep and authoritative. His demeanor faltered seconds later, when he giggled. “When are you going to tell my brother you love him?”

“Seriously, Greg?” Dipper sighed.

“Kid’s adamant,” Stan chuckled over the rim of his coffee mug, “You gonna give him an answer, or what?”

 _Why is this happening to me right now? I’m not awake enough for this . . ._ Why was this happening? When did Greg find out his feelings for his brother? Dipper was sure he had been careful around Greg all these years. Choosing his words and his actions delicately. But Greg wasn’t stupid either, and everyone did like to remind him how obvious he was when it came to his love life.

“Soon” Dipper finally said.

“How soon?” Greg asked innocently.

“When he’s getting married, and Dipper will be that schmuck screaming ‘I OBJECT’ at the back of the church” Stan said like it was a fact, focusing directly on Dipper’s face.

 _Shut your face hole, old man._ “This summer soon. Okay!? You know, I was actually going to do it yesterday until someone decided I should work the register”

“You were!?” Greg squealed.

Grunkle Stan scoffed, “Yeah, I almost believe you kid”

Dipper huffed angrily, and just as soon as he did, Mabel jumped up, “Anybody want breakfast?” She already knew the answer, and therefor did not bother waiting for anybody to reply before gathering the required breakfast materials.

Due to the lack of milk, breakfast was limited to only one option; eggs, sunny side up with toast. They had Wirt to thank for that . . . y’know, the milk thing.

Dipper still didn’t know what had happened, what with Wirt taking off for the shower immediately after he stepped foot into the kitchen, and Mabel not really acting like anything had gone down this morning. Were they hiding something from him? It couldn’t have been too important, he reasoned. What could they have possibly spoken about anyway? When he’d fumbled down the stairs earlier this morning, it had been just coming up on five o’clock. But more importantly; why were they up so early in the first place? Something in the back of his mind nagged at him, telling him it had something to do with Wirt, and honestly, he wished it didn’t. Dipper couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault, too.

From the moment he brought his best friend to this, for lack of a better example, cabin in the woods of sorts, he noticed how – different – Wirt had become. It wasn’t a drastic change, but Wirt had definitely adapted a more fearful demeanor. He was jittery, and quieter than he’d ever been before. And when he thought back on it, he remembered how some very specific things had occurred over the course of three years. Between freshman and sophomore year of high school, Dipper had invited Wirt to Gravity Falls for the summer, but Wirt had plans for the summer already. So, he waited for the next summer to roll around, but Wirt had refused to go, and again the summer after that. He’d been heart broken. Had Wirt taken pity on him and accepted the offer just to make him happy? It really seemed like something Wirt would do. _I mean, why would he accept after all those times of refusing, if not for me? Oh, god, I made him feel like he had to accept, didn’t I?_

_. . . He doesn’t even want to be here, does he? . . ._

One of the biggest clues leading Dipper to these observations, was that Wirt, his poetic nerd, had only spoken one poem since the summer began. The beautiful words only someone as amazing as Wirt could come up with, were no longer falling from his lips. And Dipper missed them.

_Damnit_

Dipper, in his thoughts, almost didn’t notice when the land line began to ring, prompting Grunkle Stan out of his chair, his hands clenched at his sides. Almost immediately after, Mabel dropped two plates of eggs in front of Greg and himself. The clink of the plates distracted him momentarily, enough so that he could give Mabel a sideways ‘thanks’, but he went right back to focusing on the task at hand. If eavesdropping could be called a ‘task’. He blinked and watched his Uncle answer the phone gruffly, hoping to hear who might be on the other end, considering this person was calling them at six in the morning. _I mean, who does that? . . ._ Unless it was an emergency, in which case Dipper _really_ wanted to know who it was.

His plan backfired though, when Stan said virtually nothing, then eventually, without saying a word, he switched from the land line to a cordless phone, and left the room. That couldn’t be good.

“Shit”

.

After a certain amount of time, it became clear something was wrong. Stan had not returned to the kitchen yet.

By then, Mabel was sitting down to her eggs, and Dipper and Greg were finished eating their own. Nobody spoke, too afraid that speaking may somehow affect what was being relayed to their Grunkle, that talking would make it worse. Greg sat with his arms crossed, looking around the room with his lip between his teeth, and Mabel simply ate in tiny bites, generating little to no noise.

Dipper on the other hand, stared blankly at the table. Too much shit ran through his mind. First he’d made some head way with Wirt – courtesy of Wirt – first thing this morning, and even then it may not have been so from Wirt’s perspective. Dipper probably wouldn’t have had the courage to do any of what he did if Wirt hadn’t, even accidentally, started it. Then, he got his head out of the clouds and realised that this trip may not be even remotely good for Wirt. He never wanted that for his best friend, he didn’t mean to drag him out here. _I just wanted to spend this summer with him before we go off to college._ And now, he was worrying about this phone call!

“Dipper. Wirt’s been in the shower for a while now. You should go check on him” Mabel inquired.

Dipper nodded, and scooted out of his chair, thinking this was a good opportunity to get his mind off of, well, everything. “Tell me what happens when Grunkle Stan comes back” he added before leaving the room.

He dragged his butt up the stairs, stepping around the hole that seriously needed fixing, and paused at the top.

The sound of water running was pretty prominent. That walls weren’t that thin. Dipper turned his head in the direction of the bathroom, brows knitted.

The bathroom door was open. It wasn’t open by a lot, but it didn’t need to be for thick rivulets of steam to billow into the hallway. The hall itself was warm and damp as a result. Other than that, there was a pleasant smell wafting from the bathroom, as well, most likely from Wirt’s body wash. Dipper wondered if Wirt knew the door was ajar.

With that in mind, he figured he should help out his best friend and close the door for him. He knew all too well how awkward it felt to step out of the shower, butt-fucking naked, to find out anybody could walk by and see you through a door that was pushed open by a nosey pet pig or a forgetful family member. Too often did that occur. Anyway, he moved away from the top of the stairs and made his way towards the door. The mirror above the ancient sink could be seen through the crack, reflecting directly towards the shower. Arm stretched out, he was about to close the door, no questions asked or thoughts about it.

Until the water stopped.

The creak of the rusty tap echoed and the patter of the water ceased, and Dipper froze. He was originally going to close the door quickly at the sound, but something stopped him, and now he just stood staring into the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of the curtain sliding open had him sweating. Dipper stayed quiet, hoping to God Wirt would not notice him just outside the door. That could only lead to disaster, he was sure.

He didn’t realise that by standing there, rather than leaving, he could see just a little too much. Within seconds, Wirt stepped out of the tiny stall and onto the bath mat. Dipper knew this, because he could _see Wirt in the reflection of the mirror!_ His breath hitched and he covered his mouth in a panic. The mirror showed his best friend standing fully nude and wet in the middle of the bathroom, _just standing_. Dipper couldn’t tear his eyes away from the water running over Wirt’s lean body, dragging water trails all the way down. He wasn’t even aware of his eyes roaming his curves and dips, until he saw Wirt’s – his . . . _Oh my God. He’s so hot . . ._ He couldn’t look away at this point even if he tried, as he bit his lip behind his hand. Suddenly, he felt heat where he wished he didn’t. Looking at his crush had a rising sensation pooling in his lower region. _This is so fucking bad . . ._

Wirt sighed, scaring Dipper a little into moving away from the view and also away from the door. He moved swiftly, more graceful than he’d ever been in his entire, to keep the floor from protesting his escape, and busted his way into their bedroom.

“ _Jeez . . ._ ” Dipper panted, his breath coming out in puffs, leaning all his weight on the back of the bedroom door. But it wasn’t long before his knees felt weak, and he slid all the way down to the floor. He had not been prepared for that, not in the least. _He was . . . hotter than I imagined._

With that thought, he realised he couldn’t quite regain his breath, and he was terribly aware of the stiffness in his pants. Dipper sighed, before he pulled at the bands of both his pants and his briefs and peered at his member in disdain, which was partially hard, and becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second. His face felt warm and all he could do was stare, which seemed to be becoming a common thing for him.

He was disgusted with himself, but now it had to be done. _It’s not gonna go away on its own._

Dipper hummed as he stretched out his legs marginally before slipping his hand into his pants to remove his length from its repression. Finger by finger, he wrapped his hand around it and began the first agonizingly slow stroke. A shiver ran through his body, as he dipped his head back, making a tiny ‘thump’ sound against the door. He prayed nobody would come looking for him. Soon, he picked up the pace – and he thought about Wirt.

An image of Wirt in the shower was the first to manifest. And now Dipper no longer had to imagine what he looked like without his clothes. He pictured Wirt running his hands down his torso, moaning as the water warmed him. Running his hands through his hair. Just enjoying himself. What if Dipper could have shared that shower with him? Dipper panted at the thought. Skin would touch skin, and those hands would hold him, kneading his curves lovingly. He could almost feel Wirt’s breath on his neck while imagining his hands roaming lower and lower, cupping him tenderly. Lips would be soft, leaving marks on each other in passive ownership.

“ _Hng_ ,” he was trembling now, his toes curled and his breath ragged, as he stroked faster and faster.

_They dropped to the bed, dripping wet, lips still touching. The bed would be soaked, but they didn’t care. All they cared about was each other. He was draped across Wirt, squirming for friction, his arousal grinding against Wirt’s. The room was filled with the sound of their voices. Out of nowhere, Wirt breaks the kiss and sucks on his neck with vigor, causing Dipper to whine and press his hips into Wirt’s even harder._

Dipper was sure if he bit his lip any harder, he’d make it bleed. He hadn’t noticed how hard he was biting until he opened his eyes for a split second. In his haze, he slipped his other hand in his pants and palmed his balls.

_Wirt flipped him over, hovering above him with flushed cheeks and labored breath. Dipper panted and wait in agony for Wirt’s next move. A gasp filled the room as he felt his best friend’s lips trail kisses down his chest, then stop to give his belly some attention, leaving a gentle peck just below the belly button. His body shivered at the touch, and he braced himself when Wirt teased the tip of his length with tongue, before taking him in. The sudden warmth had him writhing, placing a hand on the back of Wirt’s head, and the other raking his bangs back, revealing his birthmark. Wirt’s mouth slid up and down, taking him deeper and deeper with every movement. Dipper pleaded and moaned his name. His lower stomach felt tight, and everything was twitching in anticipation, including Wirt’s forgotten arousal. And it remained forgotten when a tentative finger pressed faintly against his opening. His member fell from Wirt’s mouth with a ‘pop’, so he could adjust his body to be flush with Dipper’s once more, all the while continuing to massage his hole. A finger finally slipped in, and eventually two. He wrapped his arms around Wirt’s neck for support as those nimble digits prodded at the sensitive bundle of nerves. All of his muscles clamped in that moment._

_“Dipper”_

“Wirt!” he gasped quietly.

Dipper huffed as he rode through the orgasm, feeling the hot liquid leap from his erection and coat his hand in a sticky and shameful mess. In the moment, he couldn’t immediately bring himself to care, not when he was still riding the high of his ejaculation. He made sure to rub it all out before letting go. His toes ached as he uncurled them and struggled to regulate his breath intake. The images dissipated, and the Wirt from his thoughts became a memory – or a memory of something he’d made up.

Nonetheless, he already missed his ‘touch’.

When the high finally died down, Dipper had the strength to open his eyes and maybe peel his back off of the door. It was a little hard, considering he was trying to keep his dirtied hands off of literally everything, and maneuver with his pants and underwear half-way down his thighs.

“That definitely got my mind off of things” he grumbled.

 _I’m . . . the worst_. He’d just masturbated to his best friend. Granted, it hadn’t been the first time, but this was totally different. This wasn’t something he did often, and he’d never had . . . _reference_ before. It felt absolutely disgusting to describe his crush as ‘reference’. And on a different note, but not unrelated topic, he’d never done that with Wirt less than twenty feet away from himself. He could have walked in at any moment! Not to mention, he had originally made the trip to the bathroom to check on Wirt, and something like that should have taken him less than a minute; what if Grunkle Stan, Mabel or Greg had come to check on him, only to find him grasping his penis and rubbing one out to the man in the shower?

_Yeah, I’m sure I’d never live that one down._

Once Dipper was finally done feeling like a dirty piece of shit, he cleaned himself up as best as he could, and hoisted his pants back up.

There would be no skipping a shower today.

.

Wirt scrubbed at his face in the sink with the coldest water he could out of the old taps, even though he’d just hopped out of the shower. Quickly, he wiped his face to glare at his reflection in the mirror. His face was flushed and was showing no signs of cooling off anytime soon. He could barely look at himself. His reflection was mocking him. Because he had done something horrible.

“You touched yourself, while thinking of Dipper” _While his family and your OWN BROTHER are sitting downstairs. You couldn’t control yourself._ “What is wrong with you?” he whispered accusingly into his own eyes, looking into the reflection. Of course, the reflection said nothing. He almost wished it had, because the silence was only paving the way to self loathing.

For good measure, Wirt threw a scoff at his reflection before turning away from it to pull his shirt on.

Today he didn’t feel like wearing two or more layers, so he’d decided on a striped-collared shirt with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows. The material dragged against any stray water droplets that he missed while drying off, causing a little bit of sticking. Something in his mind told him that if he dried off and got dressed quickly, somehow, nobody would find out what he had done behind that shower curtain. But really, nobody would have known unless they had been standing with their ear glued to the door.

_Well . . . no changing what’s been done. Get over yourself, and walk outta here like nothing creepy happened, or – yeah._

Wirt whipped the door open with purpose, and immediately lost all confidence when he saw Dipper just a few feet to his right, who had witnessed him perform – whatever the hell that was supposed to be. Dipper was staring quite shocked.

Wirt clicked his tongue and averted his eyes, “Embarrassing”

By doing so, he didn’t see how quickly Dipper’s face changed from shocked to flustered. He didn’t see Dipper bite his lip and look away himself. He didn’t see him wringing his hands in his own embarrassment.

There was a long awkward silence.

“The, um” Wirt swallowed, “The bathroom’s free, i-if that’s what you –”

“Yeah, actually” Dipper mumbled, “Everybody’s still downstairs” Dipper slid past him and right into the bathroom. Wirt stumbled away as Dipper closed the door hurriedly.

_That was odd._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started watching Miraculous Ladybug . . .  
> Anyway, I'll try to actually get the next chapter up at a reasonable time for you guys


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, remember when I said there had been a part where Greg and Wirt were going to see the Beast, but I deleted that part and I would make up for it in a later chapter? This is that chapter. This chapter and some of the next chapter will be plot important, so, yeah.
> 
> Anyway, I also wanted to say sorry again. I didn't want such a long amount of time between the updates, but most of you know I was in serious pain. I ended up having a bladder infection, and I let it go on for far too long before seeking medical help. Thankfully, I'm fine, but right after I was finally feeling better, I caught the cold that's been floating around my house. I tried to write while I was sick, and it shows sometimes in the chapter.
> 
> Lots of words are repeated (I noticed when uploading) because sometimes, a paragraph was written a whole week before the paragraph that comes after it. As a writer, I HATE BEING SICK.
> 
> I have a love/hate for this chapter, but hopefully you guys will enjoy!

“Where’s Dipper?”

The question was asked immediately upon Wirt’s entry to the kitchen. He hadn’t been expecting it, and he did flinch slightly at the sudden voice. Calm down, geez. Maybe you wouldn’t be so on-edge if you hadn’t been sinning in the shower! He thought back to the question, asked by Mabel, and cringed internally for wasting time giving himself a mental chiding about the events that took place in the bathroom rather than answering her question right away. “He, uh, decided to hop in the shower after I was done” Wirt gulped, his face warm with embarrassment.

Mabel eyes grew wide, “He’s showering?”

_That’s so hard to believe?_ “Yes” He knew Dipper wasn’t one to shower daily, but come on. Wirt was probably more shocked than Mabel at this point. She had so little faith in him, or . . . maybe Wirt was just tab bit biased towards his crush.

“Oh.” Mabel said simply, in a voice that didn’t sound like herself. She sounded defeated.

“Are . . . you okay?” Wirt asked cautiously. He began gauging Mabel’s body language. She wasn’t really moving much, which wasn’t very natural for her. Something must’ve gone wrong while he was in the shower. Did Dipper know? Maybe not, considering he had been upstairs waiting for him to leave the bathroom.

“No” She whispered.

_Oh._

.

The quiet was . . . horrible, in one word.

Nobody was speaking, not even Greg.

They were basically waiting for Dipper to emerge from the second floor. Yet, surprisingly, Wirt found himself hoping Dipper didn’t come down, because he knew that whatever was going on had something to do with him. All he could do was dread the upcoming conversation. He hoped it wasn’t anything too bad, but he doubted it.

Eventually, the distinct sound of creaking wood reached their ears and Dipper came around the corner, then he stopped in his tracks.

Their eyes met and they both looked away in embarrassment. God, If Dipper knew what he had done this morning, he would just right on the spot. And the fact that Neither of them could even look at each other was setting off warning bells in Wirt’s mind. _What if he knows?! Oh, God. A-and even if he doesn’t know, how will I look at him at all today?!_

It took, literally, all of his will power and bravery to look at Dipper, whose face was beet red. He opened his mouth, and Wirt tried to pretend his heart hadn’t just fallen into his stomach. _He knows . . . fuck._

Fortunately, before Dipper could say anything, Stan coughed loudly from behind him. Dipper turned around, and Wirt deflated in relief.

“Dipper” Stan called, then shook his finger in the ‘come this way’ fashion. He then meandered into the living room with his head low. Dipper waited a moment to look back a Wirt and Mabel questioningly. Wirt scrunched his shoulders; he didn’t really know what was going on either. But Mabel, she was quick to look away solemnly. And when Dipper bit his lip and sighed, Wirt knew this wasn’t going to be good.

Once Dipper and Stan were finally out of ear shot, Wirt turned to Mabel, fearing the answer to the question he was about to ask her. “What’s going on?”

“Um” Mabel tried to speak, “Well, t-the hospital called, the one from the next town over, yeah, they called to tell us that Grunkle Ford and Mr. McGucket, um, they’re getting worse . . . apparently”

Wirt didn’t miss the tiny sniffle that emanated from Mabel’s tired voice. He felt sympathy for the older pine twin, and her uncles (or whatever McGucket was to her), whom he’d never met.

“But, I thought they were just surface wounds . . .”

With a sad heave, Mabel stood from her chair and trudged over to the chair closest to Wirt. Wirt frowned as she took a seat and dropped her head on his shoulder in defeat. “Guess not” A single tear ran down her rosey cheeks, and soaked into his shirt. “Do you think they’ll get better, like, at all?” she whispered.

Wirt knew the question was for him alone, because Greg did not hear her and continued to stare at the table. But even so, he didn’t really know how to answer. Was he supposed to tell her what she wanted to hear? It was hard; how could he answer properly when he didn’t even understand what was going on? In what way had these two men gotten worse? Especially if they’d gone to the hospital for simple cuts and bruises . . . It didn’t make a lick of sense. Sure, infection was a possibility, but Mabel made it sound like they were dying! _Oh, boy_ “I- well, I don’t know, um – ”

“Sorry . . . it’s not fair of me to ask something like that,” she sighed, “Just wanted to here someone say ‘Nah, they’re healthy and on their home’, y’know”

“ . . . Yeah” _Except I was on the other end of the spectrum._

Or . . . had he and Greg even been on that end? Somehow, they’d only been in the lake mere minutes, yet in the Unknown it had been a little over one week. But that was irrelevant; the point was that in real time it had been minutes, and nobody had known about their little slip up until after Wirt dragged them from the abyss. There wasn’t enough time for anybody to have worried. And if there had been time, would they have worried at all? _Maybe for Greg, but me . . . I’m sure life would go on just the same if I hadn’t come back._

_. . . Would Dipper miss me? . . ._

Spontaneously, Wirt bit down on the inside on his cheek. _Don’t make this about you._

In that moment, he was only slightly aware of Mabel’s weight being removed from his shoulder. He wasn’t sure if he was any good at comforting people, anyway. It was probably for the best. After all, something was wrong, and he didn’t want to make it any worse than things already were.

Everyone at the table looked up at the doorway simultaneously when a hushed conversation began to grow louder, not enough to hear what they were saying, but louder nonetheless. Wirt tried not to pry. If it wasn’t his business, it wasn’t his business. Simple as that.

“Wirt?” Mabel spoke up, “Can I ask you something selfish?”

_Uh._ “Sure?”

Mabel sighed, “Grunkle Stan has always been really . . . harsh with Dipper. Can you, just, check on them, please. I don’t think I can do it right now . . .”

“A-are you sure, I mean, should – okay . . .”

_Oh, boy. Should I be doing this?_ No time to change his mind, though. He’d already said he would do it, and frankly, it was hard to say no to Mabel. It would be like telling Greg he couldn’t keep Jason Funderberker, or something . . .

Wirt stood silently and made his way to the doorway. He looked back, and smiled gently when Mabel gave him a weak thumbs-up.

Time to turn his attention to the people in the other room.

“ – lack stuff. They told me they’ve never seen it before and they have no clue how to go about fixing them. Some doctors, jeez.”

That was clearly Stan.

Wirt peeked around the archway. He saw Stan first, and noticed how stiff he looked. His voice was angry, but he also noticed the way Stan removed his glasses from his face gently and how he wiped them agonizingly slowly, conveying that he wasn’t just angry. In fact, it seemed like he was so angry, he was sad. The dark bags under his eyes were more than just lack of sleep, too.

Then he saw Dipper; and he couldn’t really tell what his stance said. _But not everything needs a word._

“Well, they have to be to doing the best they can. You can’t tell me - ”

“Kid, you and I both know something fishy is going here. It’s probably some fucking cockamamie supernatural bullshit that Ford let loose in the lab that’s causing this – infection, or whatever.”

Dipper grabbed at the back of his neck as he sighed, while he tugged at his curls. “You . . . really think it’s not just, y’know, a normal infection? I mean, ‘supernatural infection’ has a lot of connotations attached to it, and one of them could be fata – ” But Dipper didn’t finish, because Stanley covered his mouth with one burly hand, while the other dropped onto his shoulder.

“Dipper, I need you to shut your brain off for five minutes and not finish that sentence, okay?” Stan sighed before removing his hand from Dipper’s face, “I don’t wanna jinx anything here. Everything could be fine . . . but I doubt it. So, I’m going to go take my shower, and then I’m going to call Wendy.”

“And then?” Dipper pressed.

“I’m going to tell her she’ll need to come in and pull extra shifts while I’m gone. You and Mabel are in charge of the Shack.”

Wirt winced as Dipper took a step back as if he’d been slapped.

“Wait, what? You’re going out to see them? Take us with you –”

“No. I’m going in to do a – what would Ford call it – recognisant mission? If it’s important, I’ll come back to get you guys.”

“ . . . you mean, like, you’re going to see if we’ll have to say goodbye?”

Stan said nothing.

“Grunkle Stan, we’re not twelve anymore!”

“Look, I just don’t want any unnecessary crying, okay?! It’s dumb” And with that, Stan marched into the shop through the living room, most likely in search of the house phone.

Dipper didn’t move, head hung low, and hands hanging limp at his sides.

_That’s . . . a lot to take in._

Wirt gulped, looking at his love with pity that he couldn’t help but feel for him. Looking at his eyes, downcast and moist, Wirt’s chest tightened up painfully, as if a boa-constrictor was squeezing the life out of him. He couldn’t imagine what Dipper was feeling, right now. His leg twitched. He wanted to hold him, but he wasn’t brave enough, and he wasn’t even sure Dipper wanted something like that. But surely he didn’t want to just stand in the middle of the living room all alone, either.

So, while stepping heavily as to make sure he didn’t accidentally sneak up on Dipper, Wirt approached slowly. Within the second, he was already standing directly in front of Dipper.

“Dip, are you going to be okay?”

No response

“Dip? - ”

Without warning, Dipper’s head crashed into his shoulder, and his arms wrapped around his neck. Wirt stumbled back, eyes blown wide, until he felt Dippers fingers cling to the fabric of his shirt behind his neck. Then there was very faint shaking . . . and he couldn’t stop himself. Wirt grabbed him and pulled his body closer, squeezing hard in hopes that Dipper would maybe stop shaking. When it didn’t, he dropped his face into the crook of Dipper’s neck, and decided that rubbing tiny circles on Dipper’s back may help. The shirt bunched up as he moved his hands, but the man in his arms didn’t seem to care. In fact, Dipper pressed into him further, letting out a deep sigh. The shivering stopped.

“They’ll be, uh, fine” he whispered. _Why couldn’t I say this to Mabel when she needed it? She needed it just as much as Dip._

Muffled into his shoulder, Dipper’s breath warmed him as he said, noncommittedly, “Yeah, okay”

They continued to stand together like that, taking comfort in each other, because Dipper made no indications that he didn’t want to be held. Maybe this was technically taking advantage, but it wasn’t often that Wirt would be given this chance, so damn it, he was going to take it.

Dipper’s fingers released their desperate grip, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he flexed his hands for more surface contact. Wirt could feel his palms fully through the fabric just below the nape of his neck. Wirt tried to keep his breathing at bay for Dipper’s sake. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t to make sure Dipper didn’t find out how affected he was by the touch, though, too. He couldn’t ruin this.

. . . For Dipper’s sake, of course.

Wirt twitched when Dipper pulled away, but only enough to put his cheek against his chest, rather than continue to burrow his face in Wirt’s shirt. “Thank you” his voice mumbled.

If a heart could jump out of someone’s chest, Wirt was sure his would be long gone by now. “Your . . . your welcome”

He’d finally forgot about the events from earlier this morning (gosh, it was still morning). This was more important.

.

There was silence, where Dipper watched his uncle climb the stairs carefully, and Wirt stood still, waiting for something to happen. A distant bang echoed down the stair case, clearly from the bathroom door closing, before Dipper finally moved. And he moved fast, because before Wirt could even blink, Dipper snatched his hand and tore him from his spot, whispering; “Come with me” Of course, Wirt followed. Like he had much of a choice?

Dipper’s grip was tight, and Wirt struggled to keep up. He tripped once or twice, and without even looking back, Dipper helped him stand back up properly, only to take off just as fast. _Where is he even taking me?_ He thought. Dipper remained silent, _because he can’t read my mind, why would he say anything?_

Eventually, they were standing in front of the store’s vending machine.

“Um, thirsty?” Wirt asked stupidly.

Finally, Dipper turned and looked at him, bewildered. He seemed to ponder something, then his face lit up in realization and he chuckled, not necessarily wearing a smile to go with it. “Sorry, I didn’t even - Anyway, this is actually a secret door”

_A what?_ Just as Wirt was about to question him out loud, Dipper punched in a few numbers on the key pad, then stood back.

There was a sound that could only be described as ‘loss of suction’, and then the entire vending machine popped away from the wall. Wirt was completely baffled, while Dipper was undeterred as he yanked it open with one hand, for his other was still holding Wirt’s. Wirt would have noticed if he hadn’t been trying to tell himself he was dreaming. Sure, Gravity Falls was full of monsters, but now he was supposed to believe this forty-year-old shack was really all modern and even futuristic under the wooden floors and nails. Right, okay.

Regardless, behind the machine was a dimly lit staircase, and Dipper was pulling him down. This staircase was in much better shape than those on the main floor. The biggest difference being that there was no ‘giant hole’ threatening to swallow him up.

After just a handful of steps, Wirt heard the door – or vending machine – seal the way behind them. It was a little unnerving, because now he felt as if he was trapped. Wirt would be lying if he said he wasn’t mildly panicking on the inside. This situation wasn’t exactly normal under any circumstances. And Dipper; he went from saddened and confused over his Uncle and that McGucket person to determined in three seconds flat. That couldn’t be healthy, but . . . he also didn’t want to admit that his strong, brave best friend could be unstable.

All too soon, they were stepping through some more creepy sliding doors into – basically – a four-by-four elevator. Both of them took a corner, that almost made little difference in separating them, before the doors slid shut. Immediately, it was too warm for Wirt. Whether Dipper knew it or not, they were still too close to each other for Wirt to function. Dipper stayed silent, which did absolutely nothing for his nerves, and _Oh My God, he’s still holding my hand!_

Yup, there, between their bodies, Wirt’s hand sat, cupped perfectly in Dipper’s. Their fingers were not entwined, just gently holding together like a unit.

Wirt froze, afraid that if he moved, the moment would end. All the air in his lungs was stuck, like an over-inflated balloon, ready to burst. It was warm between their palms, and all Wirt could think about was his heart rate, which he could feel in the tips of his fingers; he wondered if Dipper could feel the throb. Without really realizing it, his other hand began to ache, and his fingers curled freely, feeling for nothing, but longing for skin to skin contact.

The slow door closed quietly, and suddenly the lift thudded, commencing its descent, but unfortunately, it also elicited a startled sound from deep in Wirt’s throat.

For a glorious second, Dipper squeezed his hand tighter than before, probably in his own shock, pulling him from the little trance he had been in. The moment didn’t last because Dipper tore his hand from Wirt’s like he’d been burned. He almost didn’t notice Dipper’s very quiet ‘sorry’; he was busy thinking about what had just occurred. Had he done something wrong? Most likely. And now he was left starring down at his hand in disappointment, already missing Dipper’s warmth. _It was . . . nice while it lasted, I guess. Better remember the feeling, because that won’t be happening again any time soon._

He didn’t know, though. Wirt didn’t know that Dipper was having an internal crisis. He didn’t know how much Dipper wanted to hold his hand again, and how mortifying it was for his fragile heart.

Jaw clenched in dismay, Wirt tried his best to seem like he wasn’t disheartened by how desperate Dipper had been to let go of him. “S-so, um, where exactly are we going? You never actually told me, a-and, yeah” Wirt glanced away, focusing far too intently on a speck of dirt in the corner of the elevator.

“Oh, yeah, s-sorry! We’re going into my Uncles work space to, uh, look around” Dipper garbled, avoiding Wirt’s face at all costs. Or at least, that’s what it felt like.

Nevertheless, these thoughts were pushed back (somewhat, barely) into the recesses of his mind when the elevator let out a resounding ‘ding’ and the door slid open. Dipper gasped and Wirt blinked uncomprehendingly at what had been revealed to them.

The study, or what was left of the study, looked like a war zone, to be completely honest. The room was lit dimly by a flickering green computer screen, and it seemed to be the only remaining light source. But it wasn’t just flickering; the screen was shattered, glass shards were splayed across the entire room, while sparks flew sporadically from the giant screen at random moments like fiery projectiles. Chairs and stools were up-turned, papers were mixed with the glass on the carpet, and the worst of the bunch was what Wirt could only assume were droplets of blood, staining the carpet and painting the papers in red.

His heart began to race. Nothing felt good about this situation, and the thought that two men had been down here when something clearly terrible had occurred was unsettling. Dipper stepped out into the room slowly, before freezing when his foot immediately came down on a shard of glass, causing it to crunch under his shoe. Wirt was truly amazed at how his best friend was brave enough to step out into the room, when he could barely breathe from thudding in his chest.

Dipper meandered towards the closest lamp, which was an old lamp from the 80’s sitting on a desk to their right, and began groping under the shade for the switch that would maybe bathe them in some light. Hopefully.

“Y-you wanted to look around – AH!” Wirt screamed as Dipper jumped away from the desk, his arms pulled close to his chest in fright. Just as Dipper had turned the light on, they’d been given mere seconds before the light bulb exploded with a horrible pop.

“Christ” Dipper whispered, his breath coming out in little huffs.

“ _in here?!_ Really, Dipper?”

Dipper gulped and exhaled through the nose before turning around and taking another step into the room. They both ignored the crunching glass as best as they could. “Well, I had a thought,” he paused to rub his legs with his hands nervously. Wirt took comfort in the fact that he wasn’t the only uneasy one here. Of course, that didn’t mean he was particularly happy that Dipper had to go through these feelings, too. “My Uncle is a genius, so . . . well, I mean that doesn’t mean he doesn’t make mistakes, but I just can’t see that all this,” Dipper motioned towards the mess as he kicked away some papers, “was just an accident.”

Well, of course it could have been an accident. Accidents happen, regardless of circumstances and precautions, that’s just how it works. But, Dipper knew his Uncle better than he did, so he would take his word for it. “Sure”

“So I thought-” Dipper began, turning around and finally looking at him for the first time in what felt like forever, when in reality it had only been a minute or two. “If something supernatural is to blame, I could find something down here and have Grunkle Stan bring it with him – if it’s safe to do so – and maybe it will help the doctors, or even my Uncle, figure out what’s wrong with them”

“I see” Wirt mumbled. I should have known . . . Dipper would do anything for the ones he loved, even that meant strolling around in what could easily be described as a crime scene, in the dark. With no idea what to look for, or if it was even remotely safe to be doing it. _You really are something else, aren’t you?_

But, with the swell in his heart in regards to Dipper’s selflessness, there comes a feeling of dread. Wirt felt deep in his chest that Dipper would take a bullet for anyone, without a second thought. It was never said out loud, but his best friend, he knew, would never put his own life before someone else’s. And that was frightening. What if he and his endless clumsiness landed them in a bad spot? Dipper would take the blow for him. He’d be snuffed out in the blink of an eye. He’d never see life reflect in those amber eyes ever again.

He’d lose him.

_This isn’t even circumstantial. This is a matter of when. Whether it’s me or someone else . . ._

_Don’t leave me_

“Dipper, um,” Dipper didn’t hear him. In fact, he was already at the other end of the room, riffling through anything and everything. Wirt winced, watching Dipper touch potentially dangerous items with his bare hands, and honestly he was starting to panic internally. _Good GOD, I thought you were smarter than that, Dipper!_

Then, out of nowhere, a voice he hadn’t expected to hear rang out, “Cool office!”

Wirt just about leapt out of his skin, a scream caught in his throat, as jumped forward onto a pile of glass that almost slipped out from under his grip-less shoes. He whipped around, ready to lay into the newcomer, but he stopped, his shoulders stiff. Greg was standing nonchalantly behind, holding a colourful prism and turning in his hands, while looking up at his brother innocently.

“GREG” Wirt and Dipper said in unison, but Wirt had not been expecting Dipper’s voice and flinched a little. His heart was now pulsing painfully, and he found himself holding his chest and staring at the ceiling indignantly.

“What are doing down here?” Dipper questioned the nine-year-old, completely oblivious to Wirt’s distress.

“I’d ask the same about us,” He couldn’t keep the urgency out of his voice, but then he looked into Dipper’s eyes, and he instantly felt like shit. His eyes showed betrayal. ‘I told you why we’re here’, they said. “I-I mean, Dipper,”

Dipper sighed and looked down, “If you’re uncomfortable, you should take Greg and go back up. I’m going to keep looking”

“I didn’t mean it that way. I just, think it’s kinda dangerous down here, and I know you want to help your Uncle, but –” _How do I finish this? I shouldn’t make assumptions on what his family would do or say in this situation. God, he must think I don’t want him to help his Uncles! What could he do?_ Then he was looking at Greg, as if Greg could give him any answers.

As presumed, Greg just bit his lip and shrugged apologetically.

“ . . . Like I said, I’m going to keep looking”

Wirt didn’t bother looking up at Dipper. He knew it would change nothing. All he wanted was for Dipper to understand that he didn’t want him to get hurt. But . . . Dipper could do what he wanted, and he didn’t doubt that Dipper could handle himself, but he just couldn’t help worrying. It’s in his nature.

When Dipper took his first steps away from the brothers, Wirt felt his heart sink. He never wanted to make anyone feel that way, especially not Dipper, and now he was watching how his best friend walked with little enthusiasm, and how his shoulders drooped when he sighed. It was heart-breaking.

_God, I ruin everything . . ._

Greg shuffled to his right, and Wirt was reminded of his presence.

“How did you get down here?”

His little brother’s large eyes met his, “I snuck in behind you guys. You didn’t even notice” He spoke with pride, but he wasn’t exactly smiling. He probably knew he was in trouble. “You guys were so busy holding han-”

“SHH!”

“You shush!”

“Oh my god” Wirt threw his head back and groaned, “Grow up”

Greg smirked, “Not until you do”

“Greg!” Like that had done any good. Greg dropped the prism he’d still been holding. The little pyramid thumped to the floor, and both Greg and Wirt hopped away in fear to keep from having the sharp ends of that stupid thing skewer their feet.

“Oops” Greg laughed.

“Sorry . . .” Wirt watched as Greg bent down to pick it up, and then he thought; he should apologize to Dipper, too.

Leaving Greg to his business (picking crystal knick-knacks off the floor is a real job, y’know), Wirt started the short trek towards Dipper, whose back was facing him.

He was mere steps away; he could almost reach him.

And then a little body careened into his back.

“ _Oh, Geez_ – you okay?”

Desperate little hands clawed at his arm, “Come this way!”

“W-what?”

“This way, Wirt!” Greg cried, his eyes almost crazy.

“Greg?” He’d never seen Greg so distraught before. Even in the Unknown, Greg was the strong one. Nothing could bring down his little heart, and he’d seen this inhibitions first hand. Wirt remembered, because the questioning stares and the feelings of envy towards his brother’s optimism were forever engrained in his mind. Greg ran though life head first, always.

Level-headed in the face of danger, yet here he was, completely dysfunctional.

“Greg, tell me what’s wrong, please” Wirt tried in a calm voice. He was shocked to find Greg speechless, pointing his finger weakly at the ground underneath the desk, while the other hand tugged at his shirt like a life-line. Wirt took a few tentative steps forward. Greg pulled on him a little in the opposite direction, but he persisted, despite the thudding in his chest and the ringing in his ears. Within seconds he was just before the desk, dreading the unknown. _Ah, Irony._

His body bent at the hips, he took a look.

At first, all he saw was blackness, but the whines emanating from his brother instilled a need in him to actually find something. Something had to be upsetting Greg, and it couldn’t just be his vivid imagination. So, he looked a little harder. And the harder he looked at the darkness, the harder it became to concentrate. With a growing fuzz around the edges of his vision, and the horrible flickering of the giant computer at the end of the room, it all just amounted to a growing headache.

Although, he did see something. Something like a snake, but unmoving.

A proper light source was required.

“Wirt, can we leave?” Greg begged in a quiet voice. “I saw something”

“Just a sec” _You hypocrite._

Wirt swiftly pulled out his cellphone and turned it on, effectively blinding himself with the back light. Perfect

Gently, he lowered himself to his knees, making sure to be weary of the glass.

The phone was turned to the ground beneath the desk, illuminating the small space.

Black limbs were revealed.

Changing in the light into sickly wood. Skittering away like it had been burned upon being lit up by an outside light source.

A little boy sitting in the snow. Green overalls and a kettle on his head. Grey under his eyes. Fingers turning pale. Roots holding him captive. A voice growing weaker. The snow kept falling. The perfect frog name. No mercy. He’s dying. A soul in a lantern. Get him home. You can save him. No you can’t! He’s dying! HE’S DYING!

His phone clattered to the floor, loud like thunder, booming in his ears.

Oh god, where was he? Where was Greg? _Why is it so dark?!_

_I’M NOT READY TO SEE TRUE DARKNESS!_

“WIRT!”

A sharp breath entered his, painful like knives. Who screamed? He couldn’t tell. But it brought him back.

“Wirt, get up”

_Get up?_ It suddenly came to his attention that he was on the floor, sitting with his back against the wall, far away from the desk and the nightmare that was beneath it. He remembered what he was doing, where he was, and who he was with. It was fuzzy, and he was aware of a stinging in his hands. Slowly, he brought a hand to his face. Fingers were shaking and twitching in pain, because there in his palms were tiny puddles of blood. His own blood. Beneath the blood were severs in his skin, shallow but enough. Glass, right.

Wirt looked up, afraid that if he looked at his hands for too long, he may faint. Greg was looking down at him, so was Dipper. Two pairs of eyes looking at him with concern, and he felt horrible for making them feel like that.

_**You insolent child** _

_Oh, god –_

Then, there, behind Dipper. Black tendrils crawled up and loomed like a giant hand, ready to come down and strike. Ready to rip at Dipper’s fragile human body.

_Dipper!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, what have I done?
> 
> In other news, ellipsis, motherfucker.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, somehow, my bladder infection came back, but this time I caught it on the first day, so it wasn't too bad. I wrote through the pain this time, because it actually makes me sad when the gap between my chapters gets too big.
> 
> Anyway, I hope I didn't kill any of you with last chapters' cliffhanger, and I hope this makes up for it.
> 
> And remember, I DON'T BETA-READ. Beta-reading makes me suffer . . .

Everything happened so fast.

He had been looking down at Wirt, feeling his heart thud upon discovering the blood pooling in his hands.  The panic in his eyes broke his heart; this was his fault.  He wanted to come down here, knowing full well it could potentially be dangerous.  And in a bout of selfishness, he forced Wirt to follow him down.  Now he was suffering, _and it was all his fault._

He heard the sound of a body hitting the floor.  He heard the glass.  Panic began to swell inside of his chest when he saw his best friend on the ground.  His voice called out to him, but it sounded foreign to his own ears.  Wirt was so tall, yet on the ground, staring at the offending red liquid coating his hands, he looked so much smaller.  It looked wrong.  Then those eyes looked up, and . . . god, he never wanted to see his eyes like that again.  The chocolate-y eyes he fell in love with were dead and unfocused.

But that didn’t last long.

Soon, he saw the life come back, and a bittersweet relief washed over him, because in that moment, he also felt a terrible chill crawl up his spine.

In that moment, he lost track of everything, because it all happened so fast.

.

It all happened so fast, yet for Dipper, it seemed like slow motion. 

He saw the raw fear in Wirt’s eyes before his best friend was leaning forward from the ground.  Wirt’s hand wrapped around his wrist so tightly, he almost thought Wirt was going to break his bone.  The blood made it slick, but Wirt was still able to throw Dipper to ground beside him with ease.  Dipper yelped in surprise, while Wirt grunted in determination.  He hit the ground, managing to acquire only one cut from the glass.

Dipper didn’t even have time to comprehend what was happening behind him, before the whole room shook from an unknown source (or well, unknown to him), and Wirt let out a scream of pain.  Glass flew mercilessly through the air.  His heart began to race.  Greg was at Wirt’s side on the ground in the blink of an eye, but Dipper wasn’t sure he could move.

Something was down here.  Something had been down here the entire time, and it had hurt him!  It had hurt Wirt, essentially hurting Dipper, just a bit differently.  Wirt had been right to be weary, to be aware.  But he’d insisted on remaining, and now his best friend was suffering for it.  All these thoughts had him frozen, contemplating how much of an idiot he was.

“Dipper?” Wirt whispered urgently.

Only then did he realise he had his hand plastered across the taller boy’s chest.

Suddenly, Wirt was ripped away.  His body left Dipper’s touch, and he felt his stomach drop.  Wirt yelled again, and Dipper leapt up so fast he made himself dizzy, only to find a disturbing sight.

_What . . . is that?_

With eyes wide and scared, Dipper stared at a giant figure made of black tree limbs looming above everyone in the room.  It moved like a sentient tree, and maybe that’s what it was, for it was made of nothing but roots.  But truthfully, this creature was not what he found so disturbing.  No, it was the fact that this tree had a limb coiled around his best friend’s leg, holding it up in the air, while Wirt’s back had dragged barbarously through the glass debris, leaving an angry trail of fresh blood behind him.  The blood left a sheen on every glass shard in it’s wake, and it was making him feel sick.  Wirt’s breath was heaving, and he groaned with every exhale.

Greg’s scream was the tipping point.

His blood boiled, and without even thinking, Dipper rushed forward and lunged at the slithering form wrapped around Wirt’s leg.  His body smacked into the abhorrent shadowy tree root, but that wasn’t going to stop him.  Fury dictated his actions.  He began to rip at the roots with stumpy finger nails, tearing whole chunks of bark away and throwing them to the ground with abandon.  He’d be damned if he let this _thing_ do any more damage to his love.  He would sooner die!

_Don’t fucking touch him!  LET HIM GO!_ Dipper continued to rip at the monster.  _LET HIM FUCKING GO!_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Greg jump in to help, pulling at the same branches as he was.

“Greg!” Dipper yelled, “Go upstairs and get Mabel to bring me a knife. The biggest knife in the house!”

“No, Greg.  Bring me my phone” Wirt discarded Dipper’s demand while squirming and yanking at his leg, creating a horrible creaking noise to come from the wood.

“Are you crazy!?  What’s that going to do for you!?” He cried disbelievingly.

“JUST TRUST ME”

Dipper had never heard Wirt speak like that.  The tone laced in his voice was strong and sure; he wasn’t desperate.  It was a command.  Dipper looked back, struggling with the monster, and he saw the same strength reflected in Wirt’s eyes.  He knew what he was talking about.  _And I trust you, Wirt.  I trust you . . ._

“Okay,” Dipper looked to Greg, “get his phone.  Hurry”

Unfortunately, the moment Greg took off towards the desk, where the dropped cellphone still sat, a rogue black tendril flew out and smacked Greg’s little body, sending him back at the two teens.  He fell across Wirt with a grunt while he clutched his stomach.  Wirt quickly wrapped his arms around his brother.  Dipper listened to Wirt’s fret in a weak voice, completely contradictory to the strong voice he used just moments ago.  Greg whimpered his responses to Wirt.

And Dipper was seeing red.

The mission to retrieve the phone was forgotten in his mind.  He only thought about how this monster would pay, he wasn’t sure how, but it would.  Dipper felt a surge of new-found vigor course through him.  He tore at the roots once more, and he found himself suddenly capable of tearing them completely away.  One chunk at a time, he could see more and more of Wirt’s leg.  Sadly, as he got closer to freeing his best friend, he could see out of the corner of his eye that the roots were replacing themselves as he was getting rid of them.  The little bit of progress he was making was being eaten away before his eyes, and that only made him angrier.

“GREG, GRAB THE PHONE” He had no time to feel bad about sending an injured kid after the cellphone.  Of course, he did feel horrible about it, but he just couldn’t let that stop him right now.

Greg obeyed silently, but he took his time getting up.  Dipper didn’t blame him, though.  He could never bounce back from what Greg had just gone through.

And then, God, then that fucking sentient tree tried to send the same tendril after the nine-year-old _again_.  But Dipper wasn’t going to let that happen.  He summoned some of that earlier strength and snatched the limb right out of the air, just before it could grab poor little Greg.  Dipper hissed when it started writhing in his grip, because now, the bark was tearing into his hand, but he wasn’t going to let go.

Dipper was originally going to continue his assault to free Wirt’s leg.  That plan was tossed away carelessly when Dipper saw another black mass shoot out from the other side of his body and dart straight for Wirt’s vulnerable chest.  He yelled out, and luckily he caught it just before it struck Wirt.  The mere inch between his chest and the monster was _too close_ for comfort.  His breath was coming out in ragged huffs as he stared into Wirt’s frightened eyes.  Dipper didn’t understand why it wasn’t relief in those eyes, not until he felt the branches in each hand dart in opposite directions.

A silent scream of agony got caught in his throat.  Oh, how it felt like he was being torn apart.  Like his skin was stretching, but not far enough.

This tree thing, it knew what it was doing.  _It knew_.

It knew Dipper was not going to let go, and that scared him.

“Dipper!” Wirt cried, “Why did you do that!?”

Another yank.  He was so dizzy.  Kind of glad he was more durable than a piece of paper, but at the same time, he just wished it would get it over with. “Would you rather I have let the monster-thing impale you?!” He spat.  _Fuck, it hurts so much._

“I GOT THE PHONE” Greg yelled triumphantly, holding the little device in the air above his head.

“Bring it here, Greg!” Wirt called.

The tendrils began to fight again, but not for long.

Once the phone was in hand, Wirt fumbled with it for a few seconds.  Dipper prayed whatever Wirt was doing was going to work.  He trusted him, of course, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have his doubts about the solution he knew nothing about.  Fortunately, he didn’t have to know anything about the solution; Wirt pointed the backlight at the monster, and everything fixed itself.  There was a terrible screech that could pierce through the barrier of the deafest man as the branches and the roots recoiled in the most disorderly fashion.  Wirt flashed the phone at every corner of the room, and Dipper gapped at all the limbs hiding in the shadows he hadn’t previously noticed.  Suddenly, he felt the tension on his chest release when the monster ripped itself from his hands, and in front of him Wirt’s leg dropped heavily to floor as it was freed.

The monster unravelled into a pile of separated offshoots that immediately scurried to the corners of the room, where they disappeared as if they’d never been there, leaving nothing behind as evidence of their presence.  As they left, the room felt as if life existed there once more.  It seemed brighter, in the literal sense.

It became quiet, aside from the ragged breathing emitted from the three individuals in the room, and the occasional pained moan.  _Wirt . . ._

Turning to Wirt, Dipper wasted no time dropping to ground beside his fallen friend.  God, he looked terrible, with his face scrunched in pain covered in beads of sweat, and his hands crusted with darkened blood.  He could only wonder what his back looked like, because he didn’t actually want to know.

“Are you okay, Wirt?”

“Peachy, Greg” Wirt wheezed.

It took a moment, but Wirt finally relaxed his face and opened his eyes, making contact with Dipper’s eyes first.  Wirt gave him a tiny smile, and his heart thumped, in more ways than one.  He had done this, and it was like a sucker-punch to the gut to see Wirt smile like that, even after all of the shit that had gone down.  Did he ever want to apologize; but the longer he looked at his friend, the harder it was for Dipper to even begin talking.  It was like Wirt was forgiving him before he even had the chance.

He couldn’t stand it.

“Um,” Dipper’s voice was gravely, and he looked away for a second before clearing his throat and meeting Wirt’s gaze properly, “Let’s get you upstairs . . .”

Both Wirt and Greg nodded in agreement.

Dipper put out a shaky hand, expecting Wirt to take it so he could help him off the glass that was probably embedded in his best friend’s back by now.  He certainly hoped he was wrong on that one, though.

Hands clasped into his, and Dipper cringed at the crusty feeling between their palms.  “Ready?”

Wirt nodded.  Dipper gulped and counted silently in his head, readying _himself_ before he started.  He faltered a bit when he felt fingers grip his own tighter for just a second, but he needed to recover for Wirt’s sake.  _Get him off the floor, then worry . . ._ One last exhale, and one last glance into those chocolate orbs, as he stood slowly, peeling (yes, _peeling_ ) Wirt from the floor.  Wirt gasped, from what Dipper could on assume was excruciating agony.  But the worst was the delayed sound of glass falling to the ground as it held on to Wirt’s skin for far too long after he was already on his feet.

He wasn’t sure how Wirt was standing upright, but he was thankful.

For a minute or two, they stood there silently.  Wirt wasn’t ready to start moving just yet, that much was clear, so Dipper waited.  Dipper wanted to speak, wanted to apologize, to comfort his best friend, but he couldn’t trust his voice, so he just continued to be his support.  He noticed how hard Wirt was trying to keep his breathing level.

_Gotta get him out of here._

The silence continued, but now, Dipper was gently ushering the brothers to the elevator.  Greg never left Wirt’s side.  They all piled inside, and not a word was spoken.  Wirt went right for the wall, where he leaned all his weight on it and let all the air from his lungs out in one big sigh.

The doors slid closed and it was like the barrier had been severed between ‘danger’ and ‘safety’, for the moment the elevator began its ascent, Dipper hit the floor.  All his energy left his body in one fell-swoop and his legs just couldn’t support him anymore.  He hit the floor, and he didn’t bother trying to get back up.  There was the faint feeling of a hand on his shoulder, but wow, he really didn’t care.  Fatigue was holding him down, and he found himself dreading the moment the elevator reached the main floor.

The ride was over before they knew it.  Dipper didn’t get up right away, though.  He was too busy relishing in the feel of the cold tiled floor beneath his butt.  Now that literally nothing was happening, he felt just a little too warm.  Now that most of his body was calm, the palpitations of his heart were much more prevalent, and it was giving him a headache.  His hearing would cut out in favour of listening to blood rush through his veins.  All in all, it felt like his body was working overtime.

“Dipper, a-are you okay?”  Wirt stammered, still leaning on the wall, himself.

“Heh, my legs are like jelly, but honestly?  I’m fine, I think”

Huffing, they all stepped out one at a time, with Dipper keeping an eye on Wirt’s unsteady form, all while he tried to keep himself from falling over again.

“Are you good?” _Little too casual for what just happened._

“I’ll be better once we’re upstairs, Dip” Wirt chuckled breathlessly.

_How can you laugh?  This isn’t like you . . ._ “That your way of telling me to shut up and keep going?”

“N-no, I meant – ” Wirt blushed before he stopped abruptly, “ . . . do you hear that?”

**_Thump Thump Thump_ **

Yeah, he did hear it.  A booming sound coming from up the stairs, and most likely on the other side of the vending machine.

_Oh no_

“It’s upstairs now!” Greg shrilled, as he stepped in front of Wirt on shaky legs.

“No, Greg. We don’t know that”

It was a good effort to calm him on Wirt’s part, but Dipper knew what was up.  Looking up at Dipper, he saw doubt in those eyes.  He was looking at him for answers, or at least a plan, but Dipper had nothing.  They couldn’t be sure if it was something, but they definitely couldn’t be sure it was nothing.  What if it _was_ that fucking monster from the study?  What if it was waiting for them on the other side?

Then, the thumping grew louder, and more eratic as a muffled voice screamed; “ _Dipper!? Wirt?! Oh my god . . . PLEASE ANSWER!_ ”

And Mabel . . .

She’d been upstairs this whole time.  They’d left her alone, most likely to worry, especially after the boy who had been sitting beside her disappeared.  H couldn’t imagine what it had been like for her.

“It’s just Mabel, guys” he said over his shoulder, watching the brother’s shoulders sag in relief.  Dipper turned back and finished the little trek up the remaining stairs, then he pushed open the vending machine door from the inside, because luckily, it did not need some sort of fancy code like it did from the outside.

Mabel’s body slammed into his the very second the vending machine was out of the way.  She yelled Dipper’s name as she buried her face in his shoulder.  Her body shook with a violent sob, and Dipper clung to her until she could calm herself enough the remove herself from his body, “What happened to you guys!? I –” Mabel hiccupped, “I heard the screaming – I don’t know the code . . . I couldn’t get to you guys!”

“Mabes, it’s okay. Shh” Dipper pulled her back in, “Spoiler alert.  We’re not dead”

Dipper smiled when Mabel let out a watery chuckle.  Then, like they weren’t having a tender moment, Mabel threw Dipper aside, “HOLY SHIT!”

Wirt flinched as Mabel grabbed his face, “Oh, honey.  Oh my god, look at you . . .”  With a gulp, she turned his hands over and gaped at them. “What happened to you guys?” she asked again quietly.  Dipper wasn’t even shocked at how much Mabel was fretting over his love.  If things hadn’t been so hectic in the moment down there, Dipper was sure he would have said those exact words, and probably had his hands all over him in a panic, as well.

Bodies were still, and no answer was given to Mabel’s question.  Not yet.

“Can we go to the living room?”

.

Dipper and Mabel had gone upstairs to the bathroom to get some supplies, leaving Wirt to sit in the withered armchair with Greg sitting in his lap, his face pressed into his chest.  The moment they’d been left alone, Greg was right there, watery eyes and trembling hands.

“It’s the Beast . . . isn’t it?” Greg asked, his voice barely above a whisper.  He didn’t move his face, but only gripped at Wirt’s arms.

Wirt sighed as he held Greg’s little frame, “I don’t know, Greg” Not being able to tell Greg what he wanted to hear, he felt so bad about it.  Also, seeing his carefree brother so upset was still bothering him.  He’d literally been fine one second, and then freaking out the next.

He never realised how fragile Greg was.  Well, that wasn’t completely true; he was one of the bravest kids he’d ever met, but that was just it, Greg was still a kid.  Greg had never been afraid of the Beast, at least, not to his knowledge.  So why now?

“It was trying to make you a tree again . . .”

_Oh_

How could he forget?  Well, actually, it was easy to forget considering he’d been asleep at the time.  Moreover, the two of them didn’t make a habit of talking about what happened that ‘week’ (night).  But he did remember waking up in the snow at the base of a dying tree, wrapped in outshoots and leaves that weren’t there when he fell asleep in the first place.  At the time, he didn’t understand what was going on, or how a tree could’ve grown around him so quickly.  Although, in the course of a couple of hours, the tree that grew around Greg had worked much faster, if he recalled that correctly.  Is that what Greg was talking about?

Why was he so worried about Wirt turning into a tree, though?  Based on how things unfolded in the Unknown, wouldn’t it make more sense for Greg to fear turning into a tree himself?

Plus, everything that happened in that God forsaken place was his fault.  When did he ever deserve Greg’s concern?

Wirt shifted under Greg’s weight, “Greg, we’re not going to become tr-”

“But I’m not worried about _me_ turning into a tree!  I’m worried about _you_!” he sobbed.  “You give up so easy . . .”

_Wait, what?_

“W-what do you mean, Greg?”

Greg pulled back from Wirt as he wiped away non-existent tears from his face, “The Queen of the Clouds . . . she said you were too lost, a-and that the Beast had claimed you, or something . . .” A tiny sniff, “I saw the E – the, uh, Edelwood grow around you”

_What the fuck is he on about . . .?  A Queen?_   Now this was something he didn’t know.  When had Greg spoken with a queen?  And how could she talk to his little brother about himself as if she knew him?  What else had she told him?  Lies?  She seemed to understand Wirt’s inner turmoil from back then even before he’d known what was happening to him in his sleep.  And whatever she said, it had affected Greg, even three years later. 

On top of that, Greg had seen the Edelwood snake around his body at his most vulnerable.  To a six-year-old, that must have looked like he was being taken by nature, and swallowed up to never see the light of day again.

_But truly, I’m the one who should be worried.  I got us in that mess.  I wasn’t the one who was dying . . . I can’t loose you, Greg._

“Oh, Greg”

“He can’t have you, Wirt!” Greg exclaimed, the tears finally running down his face.

“Greg, it’s okay! It’s okay.  He’s not going to get me, us.  And besides . . . it was my f-”

“Who’s not going to get who, now?”

Wirt jumped violently, and even Greg did too, but he thought maybe that only happened because of how sudden his own movements had been.  Wirt even coughed after inhaling his own spit when his heart nearly leapt out of his body.  Quickly, he covered his mouth and turned to the doorway, where Dipper and Mabel were both standing, arms full of first aid supplies, and a container of things in every colour that Wirt honestly didn’t even want to guess what they could be.  Dipper had his eyes glued on them, and Wirt felt naked under his gaze.  He could have heard them!  Oh god, they almost revealed their darkest secret to the boy he hoped would never have to find out.  Thankfully, Dipper didn’t seem to know what they had been talking about, but that did little to calm his heart, which was bumping in his chest like a drum.

_Dipper doesn’t need to know how horrible I was . . . what I did._

“Nobody, Dip” Wirt said, “What’s in the box?”

Both Dipper and Mabel frowned, seemingly not liking that answer, but Dipper spoke after a deep sigh, “A few things Great Uncle Ford whipped up”

Wirt hummed as he nodded.  Greg in his lap readjusted before he slid off slowly.  He moved to Wirt’s right, keeping a hand fisted in Wirt’s sleeve.  It was clear nobody would be able to persuade him to let go any time soon.  But Wirt didn’t mind, he didn’t want Greg to leave his side either.  He just wished the circumstances were a tad bit better.

“Where’s Stan?  I’m sure he has something to say to us about, y’know, um, sneaking around the house, and the fact that there was a _thing_ in his basement . . .” Wirt mumbled, hoping he hadn’t offended the twins.  _Just can’t keep my mouth shut._

Mabel piped up, then, “He left like, a minute before I heard you guys screaming”.  She moved across the floor until she was in front of him.  “Dipper, can you get a stool or something?” Dipper nodded and left the room.  He came back with a chair from the kitchen. “Thanks, Dippin Dot.”  Wirt blinked as he watched Mabel sit down, and rummage through the first aid kit, then she pulled out the antiseptic wash and some cotton pads.  “So, this is gonna suck _real_ bad, but not as much as what Dipper has in store for you”

Of course, Wirt had already figured it would hurt, but now he curious as to what Dipper had.  Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Dipper pull out a tube filled with a dark green coloured liquid sloshing around in it.  He really didn’t want to know.

The stinging began in his hands, indicating Mabel had begun to clean them.  Every swipe of the soaked pads made him twitch – he’d never been good with pain – but he knew it had to be done.  So, he kept his focus on his Dipper, hoping to distract himself a bit.  Although, this may have been a mistake.  First he took note of how slowly Dipper was working; he was dawdling with the task at hand (not that Wirt knew what that task was).  His eyes trailed down to Dipper’s hands, and he realised that Dipper had being focusing on the horrible bloody handprint on his wrist.  His handprint.  Then he put down the tube slowly, and began rubbing over the mark gently.

Why hadn’t he just washed it away?

And then, strangely, Dipper put his hand down on the mark, Dipper’s fingers in line with his own finger marks.

_What are you doing, Dip?_

“Can you take your shirt off, Wirt?” Mabel sighed, “I have to do your back now”

“Oh, uh, o-okay” Wirt stuttered, somewhat confused as to why she hadn’t wrapped up his hands.  A little bit of shuffling and he was just at the end of the chair.  Greg had let go of the shirt, and replaced the contact by putting his hand on Wirt’s forearm instead.  Moments before he was to pull the shirt over his head, he paused.  Wirt suddenly felt very self-conscious.  He was about to remove his shirt in front of Dipper, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for Dipper to see that.  What would he think?  _He’s not going to care, jeez._   _You’re just friends, two guy friends.  He doesn’t need to know that if_ his _shirt was gone you’d be swooning internally._ He kneaded the hem of the shirt between his fingers for a bit.  Mabel said nothing, and he was thankful for that. 

_You’re ridiculous, just take the damn shirt off._

It was necessary, but as luck would have it, Wirt was unable to get the shirt off.

He began to lift it, and just as the fabric passed his belly button, the shirt tore from his skin on his back.  Wirt gasped loudly and dropped his forehead to his knees.

“Wirt! Oh, gosh, are you okay?” Mabel cried as she put a gentle hand on the back of his neck.

Wirt really hadn’t been expecting the pain that came with the tearing of his skin, because tearing his skin wasn’t something he’d been thinking would happen.  When he thought about it, though, that was dumb of him.  Of course the shirt was going to stick to the river of dried blood on his back.  “N-not, really” he huffed.

“What do you need?” Dipper’s voice said to his left.

Wirt swallowed and shuddered before speaking, “I need help t-taking off the shirt.  It’s s- _stuck_ ” _Can I be any more pathetic . . ._

He just felt so pitiful.  What eighteen-year-old couldn’t handle taking off a shirt?  Wirt didn’t feel like looking at anyone anymore, mostly because he didn’t want to see the pity, or derision, in the twins’ eyes.  He wouldn’t be able to handle it.  It always shocked him how the twins had yet to come to their senses and ditch him.  He had nothing to offer them, and truly, he never really held up his side of the friendship as it was.  Now, he was showing just how pathetic he could be. 

Maybe, that ‘Queen of the Clouds’ knew him better than he cared to admit.

Suddenly, the floor creaked under the weight of someone – he didn’t know who, his eyes were closed – as they moved closer.  Then, he felt two hands touch his lower back above the fabric, sitting there unmoving, as if asking for permission.  They were Dipper’s hands, he knew.  Wirt trembled so lightly, but he let out a tiny noise of affirmation from his throat.  No time to mentally prepare himself; Dipper began to slide his hands under the shirt and lift it away from his skin.

At this moment, Wirt was torn between focusing on the pain to ignore Dipper’s warm calloused hands and the wonderful feeling it gave, and focusing on Dipper’s hands to ignore the sticky and terrible pain that came every other second.  The shirt went up and up, until it was passing over his head, and the pain was lessening . . . a little.  Once the shirt was completely off, Wirt continued to keep his eyes shut, but he took note of the way Dipper took the shirt away with one hand, while the other sat on his shoulder.  He paid attention to the tips of Dipper’s fingers and how they dug into his flesh firmly.  It didn’t hurt, but he wondered why they were there.

“ . . . Sorry” Dipper sighed.

“No, uh,” Wirt finally opened his eyes, “I needed the help, s-so thanks . . . actually”.  Without looking to Dipper, Wirt stood and sat back down with his back to Mabel so she could continue.

Mabel began, and everybody remained silent.  The process went on for a few moments before the older twin spoke up once more, “Soooo, are you guys going to tell me what happened?  Should I be worried?”

The silence stayed, before Dipper decided to inform Mabel of the events that had occurred.  He spoke lowly, and he chose to leave out some unimportant details.  Though, when he recounted the attack, Wirt found himself trying to tune Dipper’s voice out.  The reminder was just making his wounds throb.

“I wish I’d been able to get down there . . .” she mumbled.  Dipper hummed in response, but if Wirt knew Dipper, he’d never forgive himself if Mabel had been able to get down there and in turn had gotten hurt.  “Okay, Dipper.  You’re up.  Don’t move Wirt” Mabel said as she stood.

They switched places and Wirt watched as Mabel left the room for a second.

“So,” Dipper murmured, “This crap has to go _into_ the cut, so . . . I’m sorry, but it’s going to hurt like crazy”.  Wirt didn’t care anymore, he just wanted this to end.  He just wanted to get wrapped up so he could put his shirt back on.  He’d been far too long without it, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle with Dipper looking at his bare torso anymore.  What was a little more pain, at this point?

Oh, was he wrong.

The pain was immense, and a terrible shock to his system.  Wirt had expected it to sting like the antiseptic wash, but that’s not what he got.  At first it stung when Dipper applied the liquid (which felt more like a solid), but then Dipper pressed the substance past all of the sliced skin, and the pain got worse from there.  It was invasive, and he could feel it sitting under his skin, then it began to burn, but not just any burn, it burned like the fires of hell.  He broke out in a sweat as his skin grew hotter and hotter, and then he screamed.  Tremors assaulted his body as the liquid began to bubble, sizzling like a pot water boiling on a heated stove.  Dipper’s warm hand touched his shoulder, but compared to the red-hot burning sensation coursing through his body, his hand felt like ice.

Wirt wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep the contents of his stomach down much longer.  He felt like he was going to pass out.  But then, the worst part crawled its way in the whole experience.  Something Wirt never thought he’d ever feel in his entire life; his skin began to melt.

“ ** _Dipper, What the fuck._** ” Wirt gasped as he dug his fingers into the fabric of the chair, arching his back and trying to bring his shoulder blades together, hoping this would somehow free him from this suffering.

The skin did not melt away like ice on a hot day.  What scared Wirt, was that he could feel the skin melting back together tightly.  The skin was sealing itself, but what it felt like was more akin to time working in reverse.  If one could imagine the blade of a knife dragging through one’s skin, dull end up, while the sharp end closed up the wound in its wake.

And just like that, all the pain dissipated.

It left in one big wave, and Wirt shivered.  He didn’t notice the muscles in his upper back moving until his forehead sank into the soft fabric of the old archair.  He breathed – in what felt like the first time in the last five minutes – and it left his mouth in jagged puffs, and suddenly, he felt a wash of relief run through his veins, causing his eyes to burn with unshed tears.   _Don’t cry.  Don’t cry._

“ _Wirt . . . I’m so sorry . . ._ ” Dipper whispered almost soundlessly.

_Don’t cry._   “ . . . what was that?” he asked quietly, residual pain lacing his voice.

Wirt flinched when Dipper’s hands placed themselves on his shoulders.  He felt a gentle pull, assuming Dipper was trying to get him to turn back around in the chair.  “It was an elixir that Uncle Ford made . . . when he was dimension hoping, he learned how to make it,” Dipper said weakly, as he continued to help Wirt spin until he was sitting forward in the armchair once more, “D-despite the pain, it’s actually pretty great!  I-I mean, you won’t scar . . . and you didn’t have to wait for it to heal on its own . . . so that’s . . . a plus.”

_Don’t cry_.  Wirt couldn’t look a Dipper as he pleaded, “If it’s all the same to you . . . can we skip putting that stuff on my hands?”

“Definitely, man” Wirt caught the hitch in Dipper’s voice, but he said nothing, “Mabel you wanna finish up, then?”

She nodded silently, and took Dipper’s place.

Dipper left the room very calmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The elixir will be better explained in the next chapter, but you'll have to wait and see if it's plot-important!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boi, this could've been up like three days ago, but I suck. AT LEAST IT WASN'T A FULL MONTH, THOUGH.
> 
> This one is a messy one.  
> Beware the over use of the words 'eyes', 'before', 'then' and ' . . . '.

The rest of the day had been Dipper-free, much to Wirt’s disappointment. Not once did he see Dipper’s face since his best friend had stepped out of the living room after their little excursion-turned-nightmare into the basement.

Wirt still didn’t believe it, though.

The Beast was _in_ Gravity Falls, and not just in _Gravity Falls_ , but in their basement! Well, maybe the Beast himself -or itself- wasn’t in the basement, but whatever had been down there definitely had something to with him. This was bad. This was one hundred percent not good. They couldn’t be safe, there was no way.

And with that, he was so thankful to Aunt Katrina to be able to take Greg away from whatever was happening in the shack. Greg had to be pried away from Wirt, as he cried about needing to be there, just in case. Of course, that didn’t fly with Katrina, and Wirt was grateful, because if the Beast was in the shack, he did not want Greg anywhere near there. Wendy and Soos showed up first, and messy explanations were given . . . without Dipper. Without Dipper, everything sounded so pathetic, and he was horribly embarrassed about the situation. The only thing that made him feel better about the attack, was that he had somehow had the will – whether subconscious or not – to pull Dipper away from certain injury. But without his presence, Wirt only thought of how this may have been his fault.

Oh, God. What if he’d just told Dipper from the beginning that he’d seen the beast outside the shack from the kitchen? Would that have made a difference? Maybe they could’ve avoided the entire kerfuffle in the basement if he’d just swallowed his fear and said something! Geez, why did he hide these things? _What are you afraid of?!_ And Dipper, lord, he did exactly what Wirt had been afraid of; he jumped in selflessly. He could have been hurt. It was a miracle he hadn’t been. _If you had just said something . . .!_

_But . . . he can’t know._

_. . . What do I do?_

Currently, these thoughts were muddled as they ran through his mind, all while he stood shirtless in the bathroom, starring at the reflection of his scar-less back. His deep brown eyes roamed over his skin, not a mark, nor discolouration in sight. There was no pain anymore, and truthfully he almost didn’t believe it. For something that felt like hell on earth travelling in a condensed space on his back, he couldn’t believe it was as if it had never happened.

Dipper had thought of it. Dipper had decided to use this elixir on his wounds, knowing it would instantly heal him, leaving him with an unmarred body. He had thought of the long term effects that could be removed from Wirt’s future and did it for him.

_And I acted like an ungrateful shit . . ._

Wirt made fists with his tender hands before bringing them up to look at them. Unfurling his fingers was painful, and the stained wrap was like a slap to his face. Dipper had most likely been planning to put it on his hands, too, yet he threw it back at Dipper in a passive-aggressive manner. _I told him in my own special way to get lost._ This was probably why Dipper had taken off for most of the day. He was angry. _He doesn’t want to see you._

_You’re the worst._

“Wirt?”

Wirt turned to the door. Mabel was standing there quietly. How long she’d been there, he didn’t know, “W-what is it?”

“I was . . . just wondering I you wanted me to change your wrappings one more time before bed”

“Yeah, sure” he said meekly.

Mabel smiled a tiny smile as she stepped into the bathroom, right past Wirt and towards the medicinal kit. She stood up straight, the kit in one hand, and her other hand reached out to grip his wrist gently. “I wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. They need to be changed often, you dork”

“Right” Wirt blushed, while he let her take him away.

Moments later, the two of them were sitting in the kitchen, while Mabel worked to unwrap his hands, making little noises as she worked to fill the silence. The gauze came away with no effort, and thank God for that, because Wirt wasn’t sure he could handle any more tearing fabric from skin any time soon. Mabel wiped away any old blood before she began to plaster thick ointment back on the cuts and gashes. It wasn’t so bad.

“You know what would make this better?” Mabel chirped.

Raising a brow, Wirt indulged, “What?”

“If this gauze was pink!” she laughed.

He let out a breathy chuckle, “And covered in glitter, I assume?”

“Yeah!” Mabel pursed her lips and nudged his shoulder with her hand, while cooing, “You know me so well”

“As well as one can know their best friend’s sister”

Mabel giggled and went back to work. A silence fell upon them again as she wrapped with a gentle smile squeezing her cheeks into a youthful looking expression. And it made him happy just looking at it. Especially when he knew that Dipper had a similar expression that Wirt really felt blessed to lay his eyes upon. Dipper had a rosy nose, and when he made this face – that Mabel was currently wearing – it made him look like the sun had kissed his skin, and that his body held the most comfortable warmth.

Dipper was a beautiful person.

“Someday, you’ll be my brother-in-law”

Wirt nearly choked when he accidentally inhaled his own spit in surprise. He coughed a bit before giving Mabel a hard stare, eyes watery and while his throat felt gross. Geez, did she need to be so blunt? “Mabel-”

“No, shush. Remember when I told you he likes you back?”

_Why is she doing this to me again?_ “. . . Yeah”

Left hand fully covered, Mabel tapped it lovingly, and then moved on to his right, “I wasn’t lying, but I already told you that. I can see the tension between you guys. Now, I’m not trying to push you into confessing, or something, but you should be confident. He definitely likes you, so don’t hold back”

“Mabel . . . ugh” _This is so embarrassing._

“I’ve never seen you guys so distant in my life.” Mabel said a little sadly, but it looked like she was trying to keep the conversation a little more motivational, maybe.

“Well . . . I’m pretty sure he’s mad at me right now, like, he was just trying to help and I, well you saw me. I just . . . I mean,” Man, this was difficult. “I treated him like crap, and I even hurt his feelings before that thing even attacked us. I wouldn’t blame him if he started hating me . . .”

Mabel halted all her movements to blink at him incredulously, “Are you kidding me? That stuff made me almost rip his head off the first time he used it on me; you were the calmest person so far to use that devil’s liquid. I mean, I’m very grateful that Grunkle Ford made it, because I’d have some ugly scars that no amount of glitter could hide, but come on! Dipper doesn’t blame you for your reaction, he just didn’t want you stuck with reminders on your skin for the rest of your life.”

“ . . . Then why is he avoiding me?” Wirt asked quietly.

Mabel sighed and scratched her forehead, “Because he’s a big idiot,” Her eye met his, “He thinks you’ll hate him for putting that shit on him? I dunno. He’s been texting me for the last hour, but he’s just sending me gobbley-gook.” As if to prove her point, a beep and a ding resonated from the other end of the kitchen table, where her cellphone sat. She stood silently to retrieve it, and immediately cringed after unlocking the screen and reading to new message. “You know what? When I’m done wrapping your right hand, you should really go talk to him”

_Uh oh_ , “Really?”

“This last one is kinda depressing . . . oh, Dippin’ dots” she sighed.

_Dip . . ._

.

The evening was cold, a little too cold for a mid-summer night, but for Oregon, it was downright average.

And really, right now, Dipper needed the cold. It was calming in this moment of his life, where the voices in his head were screaming at him. ‘It’s all your fault’, they said, as well as ‘You hurt him’. He couldn’t get them to shut up, but that was probably because the voices were right. They were right, and he knew it.

Today, though mostly spent in solitude, had been one of the worst days of his life.

Hours he’d spent wallowing in self hatred on that rooftop, playing every horrible event over and over in his mind. Hours he spent flipping through the journals for anything that could explain the monster, but after checking every page and searching for hidden messages at least three times each, Dipper solemnly concluded that if there even was an answer to that creature, it was probably in the journal his uncle had taken with him. He searched through lunch, and even dinner, because honestly, he wasn’t hungry. Thinking about eating after the endeavor made his stomach churn unpleasantly.

It reminded him of the time he thought Wendy had died in the bunker.

Yes, the ‘Wendy’ laying on the floor had been the shapeshifter, but . . .

In both cases, Dipper had basically dragged the love of his life into certain danger for his own gain. Both times, there’d been signs to turn back, yet he ignored them. And both times, he watched important pieces of his life get hurt.

He couldn’t handle it. He couldn’t do it anymore.

_What will you do when you inadvertently kill him? Huh? What will you do!?_

A single tear left his ducts without his permission, so he wiped it away angrily. He wasn’t sure how he’d been able to produce enough water for a tear; he already cried once today, and it was terrible. The tears had fallen quickly and from both corners of each eye. His breathing did not falter, though. It was a pretty silent cry, in fact. But now, he no longer wanted to cry. His eyes were burning and his face was raw and puffy as it was, and there was no room in his patience for more.

Damn, that was a lot of crying this summer, and they weren’t even a month in! _Oh, please. You’ve always been a crybaby._

_Bet you’d confess to him after he’s already dead, too._

_Wouldn’t put it past me._

.

**To: Mabes**

mabel why do I even have friends? why do I bother?

.

Dipper tossed the phone away, making a rather loud clatter against the old tiled roof.

Wirt would be better off if they’d never met, wouldn’t he? What had he brought to the friendship, anyway? A shoulder to lean on that one time? Other than that, all Dipper could think of was pain, and fear, and probably a good few nightmares. It was hard to accept, but danger was always going to follow him, and Wirt didn’t deserve that. Wirt probably hadn’t experience anything more supernatural than a flickering lightbulb. He lived a simple life. Dipper did not. Maybe it had been a blessing in disguise that Wirt hadn’t been able to come along to Gravity Falls for the last three summers.

_Maybe . . . he should go home . . . for his own safety._

Of course, Dipper didn’t actually want that. Those three summers were filled with adventure, yes, but after meeting Wirt, all he wanted was to share the magic with his best friend and crush. So far, even if had only been about two weeks, and they hadn’t done too much, having Wirt here made everything feel so different. Something about having your love by your side makes everything feel like a windy day in the fall, when the leaves are dancing around you, caressing your body like a dance of colours. The only difference between this feeling and the real thing was that it felt like all these feelings where happening in your chest, wrapped around your heart. Gravity falls felt lighter with Wirt around, even with every little hiccup so far.

So many words just to say; Dipper would miss him horribly, in his heart.

“Dip?”

_Wirt. Shit._ Dipper, with the speed of a flying bullet, wiped his face one last time, hoping to God he didn’t look like he’d been crying, before turning around. Wirt was just climbing over the peak of the roof, arms shaking and eyes glued to the shingled incline. Dipper winced as watched Wirt struggle for only a few seconds, and then cringing when he realised Wirt had climbed up there with injured hands. Pulling his feet back from the overhang, Dipper stood and quickly made his way to Wirt, giving him his hand for balance.

“W-what are doing up here?” Dipper asked while he waited for Wirt to take the hand he was offering.

Wirt reached out and gripped his palm very tightly, “That’s what I-I should be asking y-”

In a matter of seconds, Wirt’s foot came out from under him as a shingle ripped itself from the roof, taking Wirt with it. Dipper barely reacted in time to catch Wirt. A little shocked gasp left Wirt’s mouth, and their bodies collided with a ‘whump’, Dipper holding on to him like there was no tomorrow. One foot was sprawled behind so that they didn’t slide any further, but Dipper wasn’t confident more shingles wouldn’t come loose, so he lowered them both unto their knees before letting go of Wirt promptly.

“You okay, man?”

Wirt swallowed thickly, “Um, I guess? I-I wasn’t expecting . . . yeah, I’m fine”

Dipper sagged and took one long deep breath. He knew Wirt was lying, and it wasn’t that big of a deal, but he looked down to see that Wirt was wringing his hands together, and that reminded him of the wounds. “You shouldn’t have climbed up here. Are your hands okay?”

A little surprised, Wirt glanced at the wrappings, then turned his hands over a few times, “Not too bad . . .”

_I wish he’d just let me use the serum on his hands . . ._ No, he couldn’t think like that. Dipper had been the one to use that stuff on Wirt – he hadn’t even asked – and he hurt his best friend. _I can’t believe I just_ decided _that that was the best course of action, without consulting Wirt at all. No wonder he’s mad at me._ He knew it was going to suck really bad. You don’t just warn people about these things. One should ask if the other party even wants it. And he went and denied Wirt of that, after he dragged him down into the dark and let him get hurt.

“Mabel told me where you were, and h-how to get up here,” Wirt gulped, “She said we should talk a bit, and . . . I really want to talk, too”

Dipper spoke nervously, “Okay . . . shoot”

Wirt shuffled around until he was at the edge of the roof (it was a while before he was brave enough to let his legs dangle over the edge), “I-I’m not, uh, I was never mad at you . . . for that stuff you put on my back”

“Wait, you weren’t?” his heart began to beat, and his head began to pound in confusion.

“No, Dip” Wirt looked away, “I just – it was a lot of pain, and I wasn’t ready to feel that on my hands, so, yeah”

“. . . your hands are going to scar” Dipper whispered sadly.

“That’s fine! Y’know, it shows I-I’ve experienced stuff, right? Battle scars, and all that . . .” he tried to reassure, but Dipper just felt even worse. Wirt was trying to brush over what he’d done like it was nothing. “T-they’ll be little scars” A very strained smile.

_Wirt . . ._

“It should have been me”

Silence. And then, “What?”

“I forced you to come with me into the basement. You didn’t have to be there; I could’ve done what I needed by myself. You didn’t have to get hurt.” Dipper could feel his eyes beginning to burn again, but he’d be damned if he let the tears fall in front of Wirt. He had no right to cry in this situation. _You don’t get to cry, because it’s your fault._

Wirt eyeballed him like he had two heads, “Dipper, I don’t underst- The monster would’ve gotten you, a-and nobody would have been able to help. N-not that I don’t think you can han-”

“It should’ve been me in the first place, Wirt!”

“Why?” Wirt questioned. Dipper didn’t answer. He was just so tired now. “. . . You don’t have to be the hero”

“. . . If don’t do it, who will?”

“It just -! It doesn’t always have to be you, Dipper!” Wirt exclaimed, his face burning with frustration that was immensely clear to Dipper. “Put yourself first every once in a while!”

The two of them just stared at each other for what felt like forever. Dipper felt his chest tighten, while Wirt’s heaved with his angry breaths. He’d never seen Wirt so intense before, at least, not outside his poetry. The silence grew pregnant between them, and it was becoming deafening. The sounds of crickets breaking through the silence resembled that of thunder in comparison. Every noise was amplified.

Dipper’s ears were ringing.

“I-I’m glad I was there,” Wirt spoke, his previous fierceness died away, “I’m happy I-I was there to get hurt for you . . .”

“Don’t say that!” Dipper gasped in horror.

“T-Then you can’t say stuff l-like that either, Dip!” Wirt’s voice shook. Dipper didn’t like the way Wirt’s eyes had begun to glisten.

_He hated it._

“. . . Okay,” he mumbled, dropping his head into Wirt’s shoulder, hiding his face in the striped fabric, away from Wirt’s sad chocolate brown eyes, “Alright, I’m sorry . . .”

Silence again.

“I-I’m sorry, too. B-But I, um, wasn’t trying to get you to apologize for anything, so . . .” Wirt sniffed.

“I needed to” he mumbled again. “Do you blame me for what happened?”

“Not even remotely, Dip” No hesitation.

Dipper pushed away slowly, looking into his lap.

“You’re scared here, aren’t you,” It wasn’t a question.

Wirt didn’t say anything at first, leaving Dipper to dread what he might say next. He sighed deeply and looked away from Dipper, “I’m not going to lie to you, because that’s not fair to you; I . . . am scared. Who wouldn’t be scared of Gravity Falls when they’ve lived in Massachusetts all their lives?” he laughed awkwardly. Dipper joined in, but he was dejected in his laughter. _So, he_ is _scared of this place. Damn, I shouldn’t have asked him to come . . ._

A shuffling noise caught his attention and took him out of his thoughts. Wirt was squirming slightly, biting his lip and picking at the hem of his shirt. He looked like he was having an internal struggle, debating if he should speak up or not. His eyes were half lidded, and the tips of his ears (his really cute, big ears) warm pink.

One deep breath, “H-Hanging out with y-you for a w-whole summer is worth the scare!” he said loudly, quickly, and with a very discernible voice crack at the end.

Dipper reeled in shock, watching Wirt cup his hands around his eyes like a visor.

_Wait he – What!?_

Dipper flinched when Wirt suddenly threw his body back onto the shingles, hands covering his face as he groaned to the sky. But he was bit preoccupied at the moment – not that he didn’t care about Wirt’s inner turmoil – he was just a little distracted.

Everything was a mess, what with his burning face and puffy eyes, the tightness in his from guilt, and now the swarm of butterflies dancing in his belly from this newfound information. Those twelve words struck him down hard and now he wasn’t moving. He was confused, and he was always one to jump to conclusion, so really wished he understood better the situation. Did Wirt say that to him as just a friend? Dipper was almost frightened to hope maybe Wirt had meant something more when he uttered that sentence. _Wirt wants to be here, because he wants to be with me!_

He could leap over the moon if he wanted!

But he wasn’t to do that.

Instead, he cleared his throat, and peered over his shoulder. Wirt was unmoving, except for the rise and fall of his chest. Dipper gave him a once over, then berated himself inwardly for roaming, as he prepared himself to speak (not that he had anything in mind to say).

He took a second to think, and he remembered this one thought he had a few days ago. So, he settled on; “I thought you were hating it here, because you haven’t written any poetry since you got here. And I don’t just mean on paper, like, you haven’t even come up with stuff on the fly and recited it under your breath when you think I can’t hear you . . .”

Wirt dropped his hands and met his gaze as he exhaled through the nose. Then he folded his hands over his tummy. “Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, and so are . . .” Wirt paused, looking right into Dipper’s eyes, with a small almost invisible smirk appearing on his face, “Well, actually-”

Dipper couldn’t help the smile that grew across his features, though he did try to hide it by biting his lip and gently shoving Wirt’s shoulder, “First of all; dats rude. Second; I’m trying to be serious, here.” At that, Wirt laughed whole-heartedly and Dipper felt his chest swell. The way Wirt’s nose scrunched, and the wrinkles by his eyes, and especially when an arrant snort escaped; he loved it all.

“I know you are,” Wirt chuckled out.

With a laugh of his own, Dipper flopped unceremoniously beside Wirt, “You’re the worst”

“I know I am” A beautiful laugh, once more.

There was a bout of silence, broken up by little giggles every once in a while, until Wirt spoke.

“I found you”

Confused, Dipper turned his head to Wirt, whom he found starring at the night sky. Wirt continued to look up, a gentle smile painting his face. Much like Wirt was doing to the sky, Dipper began to stare longingly. He took in the shape of Wirt’s jaw, and the curves of his cheeks, and he wondered how soft those contented lips could be. Dipper quickly forgot what he’d been confused about, because all he really cared about now, was that he got to lay with Wirt under the stars. But surely, it would be nicer if they were just a bit closer, or even shoulders flush, with their heads dipped towards each other. Even nicer if there were no secrets between them . . . including his feelings of love.

_Wouldn’t it be nice if I could tell you?_

_But then again, I still don’t know how_ you _feel._

Suddenly, Dipper was made aware that Wirt had been looking back at him for a moment or two as well. His cheeks were adorning a deep red colour, and Dipper could feel his own warming up to match. He couldn’t look away, though. Especially when it seemed like Wirt couldn’t either; Wirt didn’t move, so he didn’t either. But . . . now they were just staring into each other’s eyes. It wasn’t horribly awkward, but it definitely wasn’t a beautiful moment shared between two people like in those movies everyone but Dipper seemed to enjoy. It was just normal. And to be completely honest; he wasn’t sure how he hadn’t leapt up in mortification to leave his best friend alone and confused on the roof while he contemplated setting his body on fire to escape the embarrassment. Yet, here he was, drowning in the almost black pools that were Wirt’s eyes, and he felt serenity in every fibre of his being.

Dipper took a second to shift his body a bit towards Wirt as he cleared his throat. “Sorry, um, w-what did you mean by ‘you found me’?” he asked calmly.

That was when Wirt finally looked away, chuckling awkwardly and playing with his bandages. Dipper kept his gaze locked on his best friend’s, even though it was now looking back at the sky again. He smiled inwardly as Wirt bit his lip and chuckled again, gesturing to the stars with one of his hands.

He wanted to keep looking at his attractive friend, but he decided to indulge Wirt and observe the sky, as he clearly wanted him to. At first, Dipper didn’t understand what he was looking for. It was just the dark veil filled with glowing balls of gas, peppering the darkness in specks of light. Some stars were brighter than others, and one he identified as an airplane passing over. He thought back on the clue Wirt had given him, but he wasn’t really putting it together.

His brown eyes strained to see what Wirt was seeing.

And then he saw it at last.

_The Big Dipper_ , “You think you’re funny, do you?” Dipper turned his head back again, and basically gave Wirt the best ‘stink eye’ he could muster. That cheeky little (not even close) turd was making a joke about the cluster of stars on his freaking face. Wirt met his eyes, and upon seeing the face Dipper was giving him, grinned wide as his face became redder once more. Wirt clearly noticed, for he quickly rubbed his face in an attempt to get Dipper not to say anything about the colour (not that he would, his own was still pretty warm, you know).

“Oh, I know I’m funny,” Wirt laughed, “I’m hilarious, actually. I just choose not to use my powers to their full potential.”

“Oh, yeah?” Dipper patronised, “Why not?”

“I don’t feel like ruling the world. I mean, I can’t even wear matching shoes half of the time!”

Right then, the air was filled with the sounds of their guffaws and cackles. The two of them writhing around on the roof as they held their stomachs with their voices echoing loudly. If the shack had been situated in town, they surely would have woken the entire population.

.

_One hour later_

.

“So,” Dipper started loudly. They’d been talking non-stop for the past hour as if all was right in the world. And it was wonderful. Dipper truly felt like they were normal teenagers enjoying their summer vacation like they should, and not wondering when the next problem would arise. On top of that, he felt like he was getting to know Wirt all over again. It may sound strange considering they’d known each other for four years, but when you start learning every mundane detail of someone’s life, no matter how stupid, one can really become inseparable. “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done?”

“Um,” Wirt chuckled, “I made a mix of poetry and clarinet music on a dead form of media to give to the girl I had a crush on”

Dipper smiled bitterly – thank God Wirt wasn’t looking at him – and sighed, “Okay, yeah, making a cassette in the twenty-first century is a little silly. Come on man, tell me something I don’t know about you! Something fun”

“I keep these things to myself for a reason, Dip” Wirt laughed weakly, “Tell me something you’ve done first?”

Dipper bit his lip, then sat up slightly to lean his weight on his forearms, his head still dipped to the sky. What could he share in this moment? What could be weird enough for Wirt? Well, he could share the time he used a crystal to make himself taller than Mabel, or the time he befriended the multi-bear. Oh, no wait, he knew just the story.

So, with a good re-adjustment, Dipper was on his side facing Wirt, holding up his head with right hand. He waited until Wirt noticed and mirrored his position before speaking monotonously, “I once cloned myself to maximize time spent with Wendy at a party, only for the clones to turn against me and I had to deal with a Paper-Dipper uprising. Nobody noticed that there were eleven me’s running around.”

If he hadn’t been trying to keep a straight face for dramatic effect, Dipper would have burst into tearful laughter at the wide-eyed, jaw-dropped face Wirt was giving him. Actually, he wished he’d had his video camera on him, because it would have been amazing to catch the progression of Wirt’s expression from neutral to utterly stunned on film.

Struggling to maintain his composure and keep up the stoic façade, Dipper mumbled, “It was kind of harrowing”

Wirt closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief, “I don’t even want to know _how_ you managed something like that”

“There’s a copy ma-”

“I said I didn’t want to know!” Wirt yelled as he covered his ears with his hands, but the smile he wore clearly stated he was joking in his little outburst.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Dipper finally laughed, breaking his frontage, “Now tell me yours”

Wirt dropped his hands from his ears with a fond look in his dark eyes, “Please don’t laugh?”

Dipper nearly laughed just thinking about not laughing, and at the prospect of Wirt’s story being laughable, “I can’t make any promises”

“Of course not”

“Shut up, you asshat! But seriously, tell me what you did!” Dipper punched him lightly on the shoulder, and _if I keep that up, I’ll be putting bruises on him. I need to calm down._

“Um . . .,” Wirt sighed, and then gulped, “I played the bassoon to a group of frogs on a boat, and uh, yep”

And immediately, he pictured Wirt dressed up in what would be described as ‘his Sunday best’, shuffling from foot to foot, while holding an instrument he wasn’t aware Wirt was capable of playing. He was shy, even to a group of frogs, one of which was probably Jason Funderburker, until he took a deep breath and put his lips on the reed. He would play the bassoon as beautifully as he did the clarinet, and silly enough, Dipper could imagine the frogs actually enjoying the music as if they were cognitive enough to even understand what was going on. He imagined how much he enjoyed it, and really hoped that Maybe he’d get to hear Wirt play the clarinet once or twice outside of school before summer was over.

On a boat, though? Whose boat was it? And why did this person let so many frogs on board?

“Or did I dream that?” Wirt added nonchalantly.

_Oh, well. There goes all of that._ “Oh, come on!”

Wirt simply shrugged and turned his head away, as if he was ashamed, “What can I say?”

It wasn’t hard to tell Wirt was avoiding his gaze. Dipper didn’t completely understand why, though. Nevertheless, it was affecting his friend, and he was done letting Wirt suffer.

Dipper then wasted no time in sitting up straight once more, starring down at Wirt with determination. “Wirt, we’re going to do something weird, and you are going to have fun doing it!” Wirt turned back to him, confusion written on his face, “I want the rest of your stay to be good for you. I want you to look back and smile,” _I want you to think of me and smile_ “Gravity Falls has more to offer than just monsters, so I’m going to show you”

Wirt gulped as his irises switched back and forth, wondering which of Dipper’s eyes to look at.

“I promise” Dipper whispered.

Dipper shivered as he watched Wirt’s lips curl into the softest smile he’d ever seen. His best friend sat up slowly, and upon being completely risen, moved his butt just a bit closer until there was only about two inches of space between their thighs. He gulped when Wirt put his hand down sandwiched between their legs for a mere second, feeling his pinky brush against his pant leg on the way down, before he pulled it away quickly and blushed. Then though, Wirt turned his body toward Dipper’s with his legs still hanging over the edge, and grabbed Dipper’s hand with his left. Dipper almost gasped, Wirt fiddling with his fingers before he curled his pinky with his own, his face turning redder and redder as the seconds passed.

“Okay”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope when you guys pictured Wirt laughing, you pictured it just like the one from 'Lullaby in Frog land'  
> Double Dipper is one of my favourite episodes  
> The more you know~~


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lord forgive me for this shit chapter.  
> It's like, half-filler and half-not filler.  
> Like, I dunno what I was thinking . . .

The morning had been calm, warm and uneventful.  Everybody woke up around the same time and ate toaster waffles.  There was an understanding at the table that the night before had resolved some problems, and everything was good now.  Communication had been altered, and maybe Wirt could finally have the courage to tell the truth from now on.

Maybe.

Probably not.

Nonetheless, sitting in silence that morning wasn’t awkward, because the three teenagers at that table were happy.  Wirt knew that Mabel was happy to see them in better spirits, and he wished she knew what he’d done last night, because she’d be proud of him.  Of course, he held back a bit, but Wirt had been able to tell Dipper how much he liked being with him . . . sorta.  Boy, this was confusing.

But now, about forty minutes until noon, Wirt, Dipper, and Greg were sitting in the living room watching a movie together.

“So, what’s this movie called again?” Greg asked, completely enthralled by the scene unfolding on the ancient television.

“The Dark Crystal.  It was made by Jim Henson,” Dipper replied, adjusting his butt on the crusty carpet.

Down in Wirt’s lap, Greg pursed his lips and squinted in confusion, “Who?”

Wirt chuckled, looking down at his brother, and patting his head, “The guy who made the Muppets” he said simply, returning his gaze to the very crude characters jumping around to some very upbeat music.

“I love it” Greg said with conviction, as he smiled at the screen.

Dipper chuckled and Wirt turned his head to the source.  Dipper’s face was relaxed as he laughed, and it made him look so open.  It was so refreshing.  Suddenly, Dipper was looking right at him.  Wirt twitched, but today he wanted to be just a bit brave.  He wanted to follow Mabel’s advice.  Maybe he could get somewhere if he did.  So, with every bit of nerve he could muster, instead of tearing his gaze away, red in the face, he decided to smile tenderly towards Dipper.

And something he never thought would happen, happened.  Dipper smiled back, and scooted closer to him and Greg, a mere inch of space separating their shoulders from one another.  It was like . . . Dipper had noticed the difference, and if he was to believe that Mabel hadn’t been lying to him about Dipper’s feelings, took the initiative a brought himself closer to Wirt.  He could feel his heat, even through the thick dark blue flannel Dipper was wearing.  A little nervousness was growing in his belly, but otherwise, he felt good about himself.  This was a step in the right direction, and he was liking it.

So now, he tried to return his attention back to the movie, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what had just occurred.  Dipper had willingly shrunken the space between them.  Dipper wanted to be closer to him.  He felt that Wirt was worth being close to.

Dipper was worried about how he hadn’t written any poetry since arriving in Gravity Falls.

Dipper wasn’t going to have to worry about that for much longer.

“Big Brother o’mine” Greg spoke.

Wirt looked down at Greg, whose head was pushing into his chest, straining to look up at him. “Yeah?”

“Thinking about something good?” Greg smirked, “You look like a tomato”

Only then was he made aware of his warming face, “Greg, I will sit on you”

Both Greg and Dipper were laughing at him at this point, until Greg gasped loudly and jumped out of Wirt’s lap to sit on the carpet in front of him, looking him in the eyes, “I just got the best idea!” Wirt chuckled, still feeling a little embarrassed, while he nodded at Greg, indicating he wanted to hear the so-called ‘best idea’, “Tomatoes and molasses!”

“Greg, no.  That’s sounds horrible”

“It sounds amazing!” Greg insisted, an absolutely giant grin plastered on his face.

Wirt rolled his eyes and decided the best course of action would be to push his brother over, not that it would shut him up, but he needed the release.  So, he leaned forward and gave Greg’s chest a hearty shove, sending him rolling onto his back in a fit of giggles.  Greg flopped all his limbs onto the carpet and happily elected out loud to stick to potatoes and molasses.

 _Wasn’t sure you could get any weirder, Greg,_ he thought fondly.

“You know,” Dipper started, “I haven’t seen you wear your new hat since you bought it.”

“O-oh, yeah, um, I just – ” Wirt sighed.  He wasn’t really expecting anyone to care to much about the hat.  Now he had to explain why he hadn’t been wearing it. “It . . . reminds me of a hat I wore once, a-and I associate that hat with a really b-bad time in my life, so, um”

There was a bit of silence in the room for a few seconds.

“Are you talking about the pointy hat?”

Wirt looked up shocked at Greg.  He was on his belly now, holding up his upper torso on his forearms, starring sadly back at Wirt.  But he was right in which hat he was talking about.  “Yeah, that one” he sighed.

“You should wear it”

The brothers both turned to Dipper.  Wirt was a bit confused.  Had Dipper not heard what he just said about the hat he’d rather not think about?

Then Dipper scooted closer again, and Wirt’s heart leapt into his throat.  They were touching shoulder to shoulder now.  Jeez, any closer and they’d become one being.  Not that he would mind that.  What?

“Hear me out” Dipper said softly, “Wear the hat when you’re going out to do something fun.  Make memories wearing that hat, and you’ll never associate it with the bad stuff ever again, right?” A cough, “P-plus, you look really _really_ good in that hat . . .” Dipper looked away.

“O-oh” Wirt stuttered.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Greg bouncing on his knees and giving him a thumbs up with a big smile. “I guess I could start wearing . . . yeah, I’ll wear it”

Dipper exhaled happily, which in turn made Wirt feel like he’d just won a medal.  He did that.  He made Dipper happy, even for just a second.

“Cool” Dipper said.

**_Thump CRASH_ **

“DIP DOP, WIRT, GREG!” A scream resounded through the entire shack, “I FOUND IT~”

The old creaky house shook as Mabel came barreling down the steps and right into the living, huffing and panting with her bushy hair disheveled and hanging in her eyes.  She honestly looked like a mad woman, and she didn’t seem very deterred by the proximity of himself and Dipper.  Though, she was really driving that assumption home when she began to giggle uncontrollably.

“Whad’ja find, Mabes?” Dipper asked over Wirt’s shoulders.

With one swift flick of her wrist, Mabel revealed, from behind her back, what she was so excited about.  Gripped in her hand, was a gun with a giant hook resting in the barrel.  “I found my grappling hook!” she sang.

“Have mercy, woman!” Dipper laughed, pretending he was frightened of the machine resting loosely in Mabel’s hand.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that I haven’t hit anyone with this thing in two years!” she exclaimed, waggling the gun precariously around.  Thankfully, her finger was off the trigger, but Wirt still wasn’t feeling great about the way she was throwing it around.

“That’s because she lost it two years ago” Dipper whisper-yelled at he and Greg.

“Case and point, Dipper!”

Greg sprang up instantly, like a kangaroo, “Can I try it!”

“Greg! Are you kidding?  Please tell me you’re kidding,” Wirt fretted.  Jeez, was his little brother mental?  Not happening.  Nope.  It was his job to keep him safe and he planned on following through with that, even if he totally and utterly failed to do so in the past.

“Please, Wirt” Little knees careened with the floor in front of Wirt, as Greg pleaded using his best puppy-dog eyes.

_That is not going to work.  It won’t!_

_Stop_

_Stop looking at me like that!_

_Damn it._

“Mabel, i-is it safe?  Cause there’s no way if it isn’t!” Wirt waggled a pointed finger in Greg’s face.

“Perfectly” Mabel responded, bouncing in her boots.

“What? Mabel, don’t lie to him” Dipper scolded with his brows furrowed.

“But it is safe! We used it all the time!” she pouted.

“No, we used it because we were literally insane –”

“Oh, psh” Mabel sauntered over and ushered Greg to hop on her back.  Greg leapt up and the two of them piggy-backed right out of the room before Wirt or Dipper could say anything.  “I’m calling Paz.  The five of us are going _out_ today!” she called, her voice carrying through the entire house.

“ _Mabel, bring his brother back, now!_ ”

“ _Never!_ ” both Greg and Mabel answered.

.

On the second floor, in the poorly lit hallway, Wirt and Dipper stood together talking to one another.

“Well, Paz is already downstairs.  Guess there’s no getting out of this now.” Dipper laughed.

“I mean; it seems like fun.  B-but the moment Greg gets hurt, we’re going to haul-ass right back here, r-right?”

“Definitely, man.  No question” Dipper said as he approached, “same goes for you too, though” Wirt smiled gently when Dipper tapped his chest with the back of his hand.

“Okay, Mom” He said that, but he liked how Dipper was taking his health into account.  It made him feel so - dare he say it – loved.

Dipper rolled his eyes, “I’ll meet you downstairs” and off he went.

Wirt didn’t move for a second or two.  He was too busy watching Dipper retreat down the hall, and he definitely wasn’t watching the way his rear moved as he jogged down the stairs, or the way his fluffy hair bounced, either.  Definitely not.

_Man, you are too attractive for your own good there, Dip._

But now he was alone, and there was something he’d been contemplating.  It was on the floor in their shared bedroom, sitting in a shopping bag untouched.  Even out of anybody’s view, it mocked him and his wish not to see it.

Tentatively, Wirt stepped into the bedroom and retrieved the forsaken bag, and waddled into the bathroom forlornly.

The bag was discarded, and the item was pulled out gently, as he approached the mirror.

Standing in front of the mirror, he starred at his reflection and blinked.  Below, in his hands, was the red beanie.  The fabric between his fingers felt so soft as he kneaded it uncertainly.  The longer he held it, the heavier it began to feel.  All in his mind, yes, but it felt like his fingers could give in at any moment, dropping the cursed thing.  The tag was still on it, for goodness sake.

But Dipper was right; make memories, forget the bad ones.

So, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pulled the brim down onto his head.  Now, he needed a moment to prepare himself before opening his eyes.  He really didn’t want to look, but he had to.

One, two, three . . .

His eyes opened, and he saw himself wearing the beanie.  And then it began to morph.  His entire image rippled like water, until he recognized the vision as himself, but three years younger.  The hat grew to a point.  His body covered by a dark blue cloak, soaked and dripping.  Deep bags under his eyes.  Snow began to pile up on his shoulders, turning his lips blue.  He began to shake, but the reflection remained motionless, starring dead.  He could hear crackling and hissing.  Frantic eyes moved along the mirrors edge, watching in fear as frost crawled along the surface.  The image was blurring behind the ice build up, until Wirt could no longer see his own glazed eyes looking at him.

He tore the hat off.

The reflection was normal.

Wirt sobbed just once, his chest heaving out the sound of a cry, and then he felt relief.  He closed his eyes once more.  _Damn it!_

Why?  This didn’t happen at the store when he tried the damn thing on because he had tried the black one, and based his decision to buy it based on how the black one looked and felt.  He never looked himself in the mirror until after they came home.  He wore it all the way home, and for the rest of the night . . . until he saw his reflection.

He hadn’t touched it since the day he bought it.

Wirt thought of Dipper, then.  He’d be disappointed in him if he didn’t wear the hat.  And not just because he like the way Wirt looked in it, but because he told him how much the hat reminded him of a bad time.  If he left without wearing it, he’d be showing Dipper that he couldn’t move past the major pothole in his life.  He’d be showing him how much it was taking over his life.  It dictated what he wore, what he did, and the words that left his mouth.

It would show how he couldn’t even take Dipper’s advice into consideration.

Wirt’s hands shook on the rim of the sink that he was now leaning all his weight on.

_Come on, Wirt.  Show him you’re strong._

Put it back on.  Pretend it didn’t bother him.  Pretend it didn’t make him feel like he was rotting from the inside out, like a drowning tree.

A gulp.  And the hat was back on his head, but he did nothing to bring his eyes to his reflection.  In fact, once he felt the fabric press down his unruly hair, Wirt immediately bowed his head and escaped the confines of the tiny bathroom.  Past the threshold was when he could finally breathe.

_I’m wearing the hat . . . Okay! Alright then._

“Wirt?  Are you coming?” Dipper’s voice rang from below.

“Y-yeah, I’m coming,” Wirt squeaked, then cleared his throat, “Yes, yeah.”

He still needed a second, though.  He was wearing the hat, and honestly, it was starting to make him feel weird.  He couldn’t see himself wearing it, but he knew it was there, and that was enough to make his knees ache.  He needed something different.  Maybe something to differentiate this hat from _that_ hat.  But what?

It was a little difficult to think of a solution when his brain was swimming with thoughts of the Unknown.  God damn, the memories were seeping in, obscuring his thought process.  What was different about this hat, turned into shattered ice and piercing cold water as he sank, calling out Greg’s name.

 _Brain, shut up!_ He screamed internally, yanking the wool down over his face to banish those horrible thoughts.  And then he realised the first thing he could work with; the pointed hat he wore that Halloween night couldn’t be pulled over his ears.  Yes, it was terribly silly, but it just might work.  So, he returned the beanie to it’s proper position at the top of his head, then he pulled the sides down half of his ears.  The tips were no longer exposed, warm and protected from the bitter cold (despite it being the middle of summer). 

 _It’s . . . a start_.  And he smiled, finally able to take the stairs down to he main floor.

Wirt tromped down the stairs and out the front door.

Everyone was standing around the Shack’s golf cart, except Greg, who was jumping circles around Mabel as she laughed at his antics.  Paz was standing off to the side, looking as rich as she could with her designer blouse and expensive jeans, but it was the smile that she had directed at Mabel that made her look the richest.  Wirt knew, that pathetically, he would always envy what the girls had when he saw them, and it was so selfish.  _But I can dream, can’t I?_

Speaking of dream, his eyes finally landed on Dipper, who was now sporting his ratty pine tree hat.  He stood a little slumped with his arms crossed, but goodness, did he ever look amazing in flannels with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows, showing off the modest amount of natural muscle he had in his forearms.  And he wasn’t going to get into how perfect his butt looked in those jeans, mostly because Wirt had already had his share of starring when Dipper had jogged down the stairs earlier.  But aside from how good he looked, his stance appeared a bit resigned, like he was disappointed about . . . something.

“Oh, Wirt! You’re wearing your new hat!” Mabel squealed.

And that was like, a little bell, alerting everyone else of his presence, for she squealed, and there were four pairs of eyes looking right at him seconds later.  Self-consciousness began to creep, and Wirt wondered if something was wrong with the way he looked.  He was wearing the beanie incorrectly, wasn’t he?  Or was it the shoes – it was always the shoes!

But like a beam of light, chocolate eyes met amber, and it was like birds taking flight in his chest.  Dipper stood straighter, unfolded his arms, and grinned a blinding smile.  Wirt felt pride for the second time that day, as he looked upon his best friend’s face, knowing he played some part in that smile.  Then, he swore he could have exploded, because somehow, he’d managed to capture the very moment Dipper decided to subtly mouth the word ‘whoa’.  It was a little bittersweet, because it felt like Dipper’s reaction was all because of the hat, but at this point, Wirt would take what he could get.

He didn’t know that Dipper was actually entranced by his entire being.  He was proud to see Wirt wearing the hat, and Wirt was unaware of the way he was currently glowing.

Neither boy, too enthralled in each other, noticed that Greg and the girls had already clamored into the golf cart, and were now waiting on them.  When Wirt noticed though, embarrassment coloured his face very quickly, and he wasted no time hoping off the porch and clearing his throat awkwardly.  Dipper blinked a few times before doing the same, and motioning towards the cart over his shoulder, babbling incoherently.

Wirt, sensing the Dipper’s struggle with words, stuffed his bandaged hands in his khakis pockets and said, “Are you going to be driving?”

“Yes! I . . . am.  W-want to sit up front with me?” Dipper finally got out.

 _Definitely_   “Well, um, o-okay”

They made their way over and hopped in the cart.  Wirt turned around to Greg, who was sitting in Mabel’s lap, with the belt buckled over both of their laps, “You good back there?”

“Yup” He wiggled to prove his point, making Mabel giggle.

“Mabel, Paz,” Dipper started, getting the girls’ attention, “No making out while the cart is moving” he said in mock seriousness.

“No promises,” Mabel answered, “In fact; you can’t stop me”

She connected her lips with Pacifica’s in a quick peck.

Pacifica’s blushed, while everyone else laughed.

.

There was a beautiful glen, with just the right amount of light filtering through, and verdant luscious grass was growing.

The cart was parked just outside the glen, and the five of them were now enjoying the open beauty of this little spot in the dense forest they had found.  Wirt and Dipper hung back a bit as Mabel dragged Pacifica to the centre to spin her around in circles.  She wore an expression of disdain, but the enthusiasm in her dance moves showed just how much Mabel made her happy.  Wirt couldn’t help but laugh, especially after Greg invited himself to join the dance, so the three persons switched quickly to ring-around-the-rosy to include his little brother.

He loved how familial it all was.  Just like one big family, the five of them.

**_Enjoy it while it lasts, boy._ **

And just like that, Wirt thought he felt his heart seize.  It became increasingly harder to swallow, and he swore his body had dropped several degrees in temperature.  His eyes darted around the glen desperately, looking for the source of the voice; the Beast.  He looked between the trees surround the dale, and even up above, wondering if he could be _in_ the trees.  But there was nothing.  He didn’t hear the voice again, and there was no trace of him anywhere.

Wirt squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, straining to focus on something different.  Nobody else seemed to have heard the horribly deep and alluring voice but him, and . . . it was frightening.

And if anyone was going to notice his obvious distress, it would be . . .

Wirt stole a glimpse of Dipper to see if he noticed, and please let it be that he didn’t, but he instead found that Dipper was tenderly smiling at him.

_It’s like . . . you’re always looking at me._

“Sorry,” Dipper gulped and looked away, but not before letting his honey orbs linger just that bit longer.

_Don’t be._

_B-but, don’t look at me.  Not right now.  Right now is not a good time . . ._

Sadly, Wirts hopes were dashed away when Dipper’s face scrunched up, and he turned back to him, concern in his eyes, “Are you okay, man?”

 _Not sure_ “Yeah, I’m fine” Wirt made no eye contact, “Thought I saw something, is all” _Heard something, rather._

“Oh”

“Wirt, Mabel’s going to show me how to use her grappling hook!”

“Oh boy,” Wirt mumbled quietly so only he and Dipper could hear.  “That’s great, Greg.  I’m, uh, coming over there, so just wait for me!”

It took no time for the two teens to reach the rest of the gang, and it looked like by the time they arrived, Mabel had already gone through most of the spiel and had handed the death-gun - or so Wirt would like to call it - to Greg.

_Lord have mercy on my daredevil child of a brother._

“Now, just pull the trigger”

“Okay!”

 ** _FWIP!_** His finger bent back, and the hook left the barrel seamlessly.

Everybody followed the projectile with their eyes, watching as it careened into a tree and dropped, gravity doing the rest of the work in wrapping it around a thick branch.

“It still works!” Mabel exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air, and then she remembered, “Oh, don’t let go of the trigger, Greg”

“What happens when you let go of the trigger?” Wirt asked cautiously.

Mabel, and her infinite acting skills, made a jabbing motion in front of her with both arms and stuck one foot out completely straight, making her resemble Superman, “Pshoooo!”

“Okay, alright” Wirt was trying no to seem hysterical, but the shaking of his knees and hands was making this fact quite hard to hide.  It wasn’t difficult to imagine his little brother flying through the air and going freaking _splat_.  Just the thought of his little body smacking into a tree at God knows how fast, snapping his neck or spine, and watching his eyes roll back into his skull made Wirt want to puke.  In fact, he was feeling a tad wobbly, wishing he could just get the gun away from Greg.

“It didn’t work, though” Greg piped up.

“Huh?”

“Look” and there was the gun, without Greg’s finger on the prompt!

“GREG” Wirt cried, “Mabel literally just told you not to let go!” The splat, the snapped neck, it could have been reality!  Why was he like this?!  Why did Greg have to be so careless? “Geez, Greg.  Do you even understand what could have happened to you?”  First the Beast, now this!  Wirt was sure if he was any more stressed than he was right then, he’d explode.

“I was curious” Greg mumbled.

In his mini panic, Wirt’s body moved on its own, and the gun was swiftly removed from Greg’s hands.  He wasn’t even aware.

“Greg, you shouldn’t make it easier for yourself to get hurt,” he said, a lot calmer, gun still in hand.

“I’m sorry . . .”

“It’s okay, and . . . I’m sorry, too” Wirt sighed.

Dipper exhaled calmly and reached out towards Wirts hands, gently rubbing over the bandage with his thumb, “Wirt, I’ll take the gun”

Wirt finally realised what had happened.  He’d wondered where the gun had gone, disappearing from Greg’s hands.

“Oh, right” he murmured.

He turned to Dipper, smiling sadly, getting ready to hand off the weapon.  But, just as his grip began to loosen, he snatched it back.  Because, over Dipper’s shoulder, alone the edge of the glen, he saw something.  Something that made his blood run cold.  Out between the trees, stood a giant black creature, its eyes glowed the horrible tri-coloured hues he remembered from an old grist mill in the middle of the wood.  The eyes were crazy, but other than that, there were no other features upon it’s horrible face.  The giant antlers protruded from the sides of the head, long and menacing.  And then, he tipped his head to the side, as if to convey its innocence and naivety.  But Wirt knew, the Beast was anything but.

**_Playtime’s coming to an end, Wirt._ **

And within the second, the Beast skulked away quickly and vanished.

_He’s taunting me.  Oh, God, I’m going to loose my mind._

“Wirt?” Dipper asked tenderly, placing a tight grip on the gun.  “What’s wrong?”

Wirt did not let go, and did not move his eyes away from the spot the Beast once stood.  “Uh-”

Suddenly, without warning, there was a harsh tug in his hand.  The gun snapped quickly to the left, whipping Wirt’s arm across his body, as the cord finally made an attempt to return to the holster.  Unfortunately for him, the unexpected movement caused him to seize his muscles, creating an unbreakable clutch on the now flying weapon.  The cord made a ‘zip’ sound as it threw his body to the ground, hitting it like a dead fish, and forcing dirt into the air in a puff.

Wirt groaned and clutched at his shoulder, “Ow”

Seconds after this, there was an even louder groan to his right.  “I think I wrenched my shoulder . . .” Dipper chuckled bitterly.

“. . . me too” Wirt realised Dipper must have been sent flying as well, never letting go of the grappling hook, just as he didn’t.

“Wirt! That was so cool! You flew!” Greg laughed, throwing himself onto Wirt’s chest, causing him to emit a painful huff.

“Yeah, I did” he wheezed, “Now get off, you’re killing me”

“You could have let go” said Dipper.

Wirt rolled his head until he could see Dipper, who was smiling smugly at him.  Wirt wore his own smug as he looked at Dipper’s terribly askew cap and dirt smudged cheeks.

“So could you, but you did not, therefore . . . shut up”

“What can I say?  Friends of a feather, fly together” Dipper cackled.

“That is _not_ correct”

Everyone was laughing now, even Pacifica.

But, Wirt could not forget that the Beast was lurking around so easily.

It was time to tell Dipper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a little bit of forward moving, I guess.
> 
> There's going to be a .5 to this chapter coming up in the next few day or so, because I want this scene in the story, but it doesn't fit in this chapter, and it DEFINITELY doesn't fit in chapter 16.
> 
> And I know it's starting to get plot holes, but they'll be fixed or explained later.


	16. Chapter Fifteen .5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't long because I told you guys it didn't really fit with the last chapter, but the next chapter is going to be big and I want it to be perfect, so . . . God, I hope I don't make you guys wait too long for it, but I'll try my best.

Dipper almost couldn't contain himself long enough to get somewhere private.

The entire day had been like a blessing, and Dipper wouldn't change a single moment.  Among the fun and folly, Wirt had made him feel like nothing else mattered but the two of them.  The long, tender stares, and the casual touching that any onlooker would describe as contact between lovers.  Everything had been wonderful.

It was very late now, Wirt was sleeping, and the current task was to get to the basement to make some very needed seal-age happen on a certain basement door.  Mabel was right on his tail, because he needed someone to babble excitedly to.  They both waddled down the stairs, tired from being out all day, but nonetheless, they soon reached the elevator.  Just one step closer to being able to pour his happy heart out to his sister.

The elevator door slid closed, and Dipper basically exploded.

“Did you see the way he looked at me today?” he yelled, knowing they were far from being heard, while moving his hands in excitement, “I mean – I was basically in his lap hours ago, but . . . he –” All the air in his lungs left in one contented rush as he leaned against the elevator wall.

“I did, bro-bro” Mabel smiled (Dipper, of course, did not know she had been the one to encourage Wirt in the first place).

The elevator chugged, and the door opened, showing the ‘crime-scene’.  Mabel looked away, so Dipper quickly closed the inner door, the one he remembered Stanford opening to reveal the secret study, and locked it.  After they heard the resounding ‘click’ of the lock, Dipper put his hand out to Mabel, silently asking for the Journal she had been holding the entire time.  She complied, and he opened it quickly to a marked page with a very specific seal drawn on it.

Dipper began to copy the seal in washable marker onto the door.  As he did so, he couldn't help but smile, “Do you think there’s a chance?  That he likes me back, I mean”

Mabel did not speak, because she was shrugging her shoulders, which Dipper did not see.

“I’m going to tell him”

“Tell him what”

The seal was done, and he turned to Mabel, his face warming, “I’m going to tell Wirt I love him”

Mabel chuckled, “Here come the skeptacles”

As she raised her hands to her face, Dipper swatted them down jokingly, “I’m serious.  Tomorrow, I’m going to do it”

It was time to tell Wirt.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to take a tiny break though, because I did struggle with the last chapter.  
> It's not a hiatus, don't worry :)


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be better.  
> Btw, any ooc-ness in Dipper is based on his insecurities.  
> Any ooc-ness in Wirt is because it's fucking hard to write from Dipper's P.O.V.  
> REMEMBER THAT I DON'T BETA-READ!   
> And I'm just tired . . .

To any who would ask, yes, pacing around the kitchen was helping calm Dipper.  Slightly, at least.  He could feel the wood through his worn-out socks, and it was keeping him grounded.  No pun intended.

Dipper was currently waiting for Wirt to finish up his shower, so he could ask him out for the day, and he wasn’t even close to knowing how to do it.  He didn’t want to make it sound like a date, because he didn’t want to scare Wirt right off the bat, but he also didn’t want to pretend it wasn’t a date, because that wasn’t fair to Wirt in the slightest.  And regardless of how he asked, what if Wirt said no?  What would he do, then?  There were so many variables in outcome to his plans that he had started a list, and then he threw it away, and then . . . he wrote another.  A list to guide him, step-by-step, through this day.  The list laid crumpled in his right hand, burning a hole in his insecurities.  He knew it was dumb to have it, after all, it did nothing for him in his attempts to woo Wendy, but he honestly didn’t feel right without it.  Even if it stayed folded up in his pocket, he needed it there.  At least as a back up, anyway.

And no body should get him started on how his night went.  After making his final decision to finally gather some courage and do what he’d been dying to do for the last four years, he spent the majority of the night laying on his back, planning the day out, and getting little to no sleep.  He spent some time looking at his best friend, sleeping deeply, imagining what cruel words might spill from those lips, wondering what wonderful words would spill from those lips.  So now, the nest morning, he was stressed.   His body was already tired, and now his brain was, too.

Now, the longer he had to wait for Wirt to finish his shower, the more his confidence dwindled.

Suddenly, the ancient pipes running through the house shuddered and ached from the seized water flow.  It was loud, and it sounded like the house was going to fall apart, which meant, of course, that Wirt was done his shower.

Dipper sighed and bit his lip, _time to start step one_.  Step one was simply to start heating up some water.  Yes, heat up some water.  For tea, of course.  Tea for Wirt.  Dipper, for the first time in his life was going to make tea, and it was already off to a rocky start.  Why?  Well, the inhabitants of the Mystery Shack were more, what you call, coffee people, which was a complicated way of saying they didn’t have a tea kettle.  _I guess I’m using the coffe\ maker_ , he thought.  That was fine, yeah, but Dipper didn’t entirely know what to do after that.  He didn’t even know if they had tea in the house.

Maybe he should have checked first . . .

God, he just wanted to make Wirt happy.  Why did everything have to be so complicated?  Okay, making tea in a coffee maker wasn’t really worthy of asking any deity for answers, but it was to him!  It just seemed like any time he wanted to do something for the person he loved, things just had to go wrong.

Tea made Wirt feel good, and it helped with his nerves.  He always smiled softly when drinking it, and not to mention, the occasional moan of satisfaction.  Aside from that (the moan), Dipper also wanted Wirt in the right state mentally, and physically, for when he asked him out for the day.

Was that too much to ask?

After scouring the kitchen and tearing through cabinets for a while, Dipper came across a box of tea bags.  A box of Orange pekoe.  Hopefully, Wirt liked Orange pekoe, because that’s all they had.  Not as good as green tea, or Kava – that’s what it was – when it came to nerves and anxiety, but with any luck it would be good enough.

While the sound of Wirt walking along the second floor rained down on Dipper, he began to pace again, thinking about nothing and everything at the time.  He scratched at his hair, while kneading a tea bag in his fingers, mentally reminding himself not to use that one for Wirt’s morning drink.  The crunchy contents were soothing, but not soothing enough to keep him from thinking about how step two of plan was fast approaching.  Closer and closer came the time to ask; ‘Will you go out with me?’

_I think I’m going to throw up._

About ten minutes later, Dipper was staring at the coffee maker, while Wirt waddled in, unbeknownst to Dipper.

“Mornin’, Dip” Wirt greeted.

Dipper only twitched at Wirt’s sudden presence, but he recovered quickly, “Hey, man”

“What are you making?” Wirt asked as he took a seat at the table, looking absolutely fresh.  Showers could do this to the most un-morning of people.

“Uh, t-tea.  For you” he stuttered, internally kicking himself.  “Do you like Orange pekoe?”  _Please, say yes_.

Wirt blinked, and soon turned red in the face, “Uh, yeah.  I-I like Orange pekoe.  Y-You’re making _me_ tea?”

It wasn’t hard to smile for Dipper when he looked at Wirt and his freshly washed, fluffy hair, the nice smell coming off of him in their close proximity, and of course, the blush that painted his face.  All his fear and anxiety was all for nothing when he looked at Wirt and the reaction he had elicited from him.  It would always be cute the way his cheeks matched the tips of his ears in colour.

Once Dipper had gotten enough, he cleared his throat and spoke, “I guess I didn’t exactly make you tea, I just boiled the water” He turned back to the coffee maker, noting that the water was ready, and poured it in the first mug he could find.  And now that that was ready, where did he put the box of bags again?  He couldn’t help but chuckle awkwardly as he looked around for it, half expecting Wirt to just start laughing at his stupidity.

“No, no, it’s perfect timing, actually.  Getting out of the shower and immediately having a cup of tea” he smiled softly before gulping and speaking again, “U-um, are you looking for the tea bags? Because they’re over h-here”

Dipper’s brows furrowed, then turned around to face Wirt, where he also saw that, in fact, the tea bags were on the table along with Wirt’s crossed arms.  He willed his face not to show his embarrassment, as he literally said; “That’s embarrassing”

Wirt took the offered cup of hot water, “What’s actually embarrassing is watching Jason Funderburker flirt with people”

“Ugh, I hate that guy”

Wirt guffawed, spooking Dipper, as he dipped his tea bag in the water repeatedly, “I knew there was reason I liked you so much”

Okay, now his face was red, and he was powerless to stop it.  _I hope you know what you just said there, Wirt._ Not that Wirt’s face wasn’t as red, and Dipper was selfishly thankful for it.  Except, now Wirt wasn’t looking at him, because he was busy burying his face in the crook of his arm, never once stopping the dipping of his tea bag.

Eventually, Wirt pulled back up, his hair totally askew, and took a sip of his beverage.  Dipper was a little shocked at how Wirt avoided blowing on it to cool it down, but that was quickly dashed away when Wirt’s eyes slipped closed, the drink sitting just below his chin, as he moaned contentedly.  Now, Dipper had prepared himself for this moan, but it still hit him low in the belly as it escaped Wirt’s throat.  The rumble of the hum was like music to his ears.

“S-so, um,” Dipper stuttered, trying very hard not to focus too much on Wirt’s moistened lips, “There’s some things I planned out, if you want to go out . . . and do those things?”

Wirt opened his eyes before training his eyes down to the mug in his hands, “Uh, yeah.  I’ll call the motel, and we can ask Greg –”

“No, no,” Dipper spoke, voice cracking as his fears began to engulf his body, “I-I was hoping we’d be, um, that it would be just you and me . . .”

Dipper almost immediately regretted every word the came out of his mouth, when Wirt nearly dropped the mug, and began sputtering.  He coughed with eyes wide and flushed (even darker) cheeks, and all Dipper could think was; _I fucked up._   The fear began to creep up again.  Wirt was going to say no, he just knew it.  He could already hear that one syllable, ringing in his ears, telling him how stupid he was to think Wirt do it.

You see, now that Greg was around, there was no reason for them to do anything _alone_ together.  Therefor, Dipper could only assume that Wirt had figured out what Dipper’s initial plan was, and that he was preparing to turn him down.

_You blew it –_

Some more coughing, and then, “S-sorry, um, uh,” Wirt fumbled as he licked some stray tea from his lips, “Y-yeah, I wouldn’t m-mind . . . it – yup”

“You wouldn’t?!” Now if Dipper thought he was going to puke earlier, well, one could imagine how sick he felt currently.

“Yes . . .?” Wirt exhaled in amusement, but also in confusion.

“G-great” Dipper smiled, brushing his bangs away from his sweaty forehead. “So, I was thinking we could start with lunch at Greasy’s”

.

_He said yes!_

Oh, the butterflies in his belly were just a-flying now.

Dipper found it quite difficult to pack a cooler for the day when the residual excitement of Wirt’s agreement to go out with him.  But, he wanted to stay out all day, so he worked through the flutter’s, and filled the cooler with plenty of water, Pitt-cola, and anything else he thought they would need.  Then he filled a backpack with many other things, pausing every once in a while when his tummy jumped, and he placed both pieces of supply containers by the door.

And that’s when the butterflies turned into bricks in his abdomen.

_Oh, God.  He said yes._

Dipper had to commit now.  Wirt was not stupid by any means, and he would figure it out as the day went on.  If they went out all day, and nothing came of it, Wirt would know.

God, did he ever want to just say those magic words; the three words that could set him up for happiness in excess.  He was ready to finally be able to hold and touch to his hearts content, to just _be_ with Wirt.  Dipper wanted to be able to love him out of the shadows.  No more awkward.  No more avoidance.  Just them.

But the closer the time came, the more Dipper began to wonder.  _Can I really do this?_

_I can’t . . . I can’t have another Wendy . . ._

Boy, was he glad Wirt was outside by the cart, rather than in here witnessing his little conundrum.  Especially when the sweat started to bead on his forehead, and his fingers began to twitch.  Geez, he was already a sweaty person, he didn’t need this!

Then, he began to feel nauseated, and with a hand on his tummy, Dipper sat down at the table.  He couldn’t believe that just moments ago, he was excited and raring to go.  Now, he was holding back his breakfast.

Suddenly -

“Hey, Dip-Dop.  So, I just made a call to Pa –” Mabel quipped as she entered the room, but she stopped short when she saw Dipper at the table. “Whoa, whaddup with you?”

Ignoring the question, Dipper went straight to; “Do me a favour, and tell me stomach to shut the fuck up”

Mabel sighed and took a seat beside him, “Nah, you know your tummy-tum won’t listen to me”

A moment of silence, and a few rubs across his torso, “. . . Mabel, what should I do?”

“Uh, you go out and have a good time?” she answered, rolling her eyes at him, “You’ll be out all day, you said?”

“I-I mean, if I don’t drop dead with anxiety first.  Why?” he asked, looking at her questioningly.

“No reason” she said dismissively.

He needed to stand and pace.  He could feel it in his knees.  So he did.  “Maybe, uh, maybe I should call it off, and we’ll just hang here and watch movies.  I won’t confess, and we’ll live happily never-together after. The end”

Within seconds, Mabel abandoned her breakfast, stood, and strutted over to him in two giant strides, determination written all over her face.  Dipper had to step back a bit, but he did not manage to gain much ground when he got rear-ended by the counter top.  Now he had to prepare himself for an earful; a helpful earful, but nonetheless an earful.  She was probably going to give him the pep talk of his life (not that she gave him one during his crush on Wendy).

But eighteen-year-old Mabel was better at pushing him in the right direction.

“You listen to me, bro-bro” Mabel said, grabbing both sides of Dipper’s face, “You are not allowed back into this house until you’ve kissed that boy!”

 _Well, that’s . . . not what I was expecting_.  Furrowing his brow, Dipper said nothing for a minute, then he said, “What? Mabel –”

“Make out with him!” she exclaimed, squeezing his cheeks.

“Mabel, stop –” he laughed awkwardly.

“Swap spit”

“. . . Mabel –”

“ _Suck face_ ”

“ _Ew_ , MABEL” Dipper yelled as he ripped his face from Mabel’s grip.  He made sure to give her the stink-eye for her shenanigans, but she just laughed deep in her throat.  About to say something else in his frustration and embarrassment, Dipper opened his mouth, but he was shut up by Mabel forcibly shooing him towards the door with a big grin on her face, barely giving him enough time to stoop down and gather his bag and the cooler.

“Have fun” she sang.

True to her word, the moment Dipper’s feet were planted on the slats of the wooden porch, he heard the distinct sound of the latch locking behind him.

“You’re the worst, Mabel!” Dipper called over his shoulder.

Muffled from the inside, Mabel called back, “You’re a dork, Dipper!”

Slightly miffed, Dipper huffed and lugged the bag and cooler down off the porch.  He stumbled a bit trying to move both these items across the yard to the cart, looking like a drunken sailor when his legs crossed each other at every given opportunity.  As he got closer, with much difficulty, Wirt noticed him approaching, and he stepped out of the cart.  Dipper slowed down a bit, and Wirt grabbed the cooler from his hands.  “I was starting to think you were going to ditch me . . . in the front yard” Wirt laughed awkwardly.

“Ditch you?” Dipper grunted as the weight of the cooler was lifter away, “Never”

Comfortable silence engulfed them while they readied the cart, and got in themselves.

After buckling himself in, Dipper looked up to Wirt, making sure he was buckled as well.  After all, this was probably the fastest golf cart in the U.S.A.  But looking for a safely Buckled-Wirt left his thoughts when he looked at Wirt’s hands, and how they were not bandaged.  And they were supposed to be.  Why weren’t they bandaged?  “Wirt?”

Wirt twitched, “Yeah?”

“Your hands aren’t wrapped?”

“U-uh, no, um, I just . . . lots of Polysporin” Wirt sighed, “I didn’t want . . . to”

And now, Dipper felt horrible.  He never meant to make Wirt feel like he was in trouble, and certainly not to make him feel like he had to answer to him like some authority.  He just cared about Wirt.  He didn’t want him to get hurt.  Ever.  “W-well, that’s fine, y’know.  I’m not trying to –”

“O-oh”

And that was it, the cart started up, and they were driving.

In silence.

Dipper wasn’t sure how much silence he was willing to deal with today.

So; “Disco girl, coming through~” he sang with passion, wiggling in his seat, and making the cart shimmy.  Dipper took his eyes off the road to look at Wirt, who was biting his lip, obviously trying not to laugh.  It seemed like Dipper was going to have to try harder than that.  “YEAH, THAT GIRL IS YOU!” he yelled, purposely off-key, scaring every bird unlucky enough to be in earshot.  And the cherry on top, he shook his shoulders in rhythm.

“Pffft.  So, we’re singing Babba, Chiquita?” Wirt added while he guffawed.

The drive into town was filled with Wirt’s laughter, and Dipper’s terrible singing, that he was oh so proud of.  Only because it elicited that wonderful laugh.

Eventually, Dipper drove the cart into a little opening off the road where Greasy’s Diner would be sitting.  The cart bounced on the dirt as it pulled into the parking lot, if one could call it that, and grinded to a halt with little grip on the dirt and pebbles as Dipper stopped it in a parking spot.  In front of them was the little diner, and little was an understatement, honestly.  An old train car that had been converted into the giant log-looking diner that it was today.  It was even still sitting on it’s original tracks.

The more popular of the towns eateries, despite the accuracy in the name in relevance to it’s interior.

Dipper just hoped it was good enough for Wirt.

“So, a few words of warning before we go in” Dipper started as he put the cart in park, and turned in his seat so he could face Wirt.

Wirt nodded as signal to go ahead.

“Okay, so, the woman who runs this place is Lazy Susan.  We call he Lazy Susan because of her eye, don’t question it, she doesn’t seem to care, so we just go along with it” Dipper pursed his lips for a second, because there was something else he wanted to say, but he also wanted to make sure Wirt didn’t think everyone in town was cruel to Susan or something.  Wirt bit his lip, and nodded once more, looking absolutely flabbergasted (not to mention adorable), but clearly he wasn’t going to question the reasoning behind Susan’s more commonly used name.

“Okay.  Now, because _I like you_ and care for your _health_ , I advise you not to order anything from the coffee menu” _. . . Maybe I should have left out the ‘I like you’ bit._   Was that too much?  Did he push it?  Dipper was a little scared to check Wirt’s reaction to this, and he found himself looking out past his head to avoid direct eye contact.

“Is her coffee that bad?” Wirt asked in a hushed tone, blushing slightly at the before comment.  Not that Dipper was looking, of course . . .

“N-No, it’s actually good.  The coffee menu is food infused with coffee.  Stuff like coffee omelettes, and coffee waffles, and coffee – Look, just don’t do it, for your own safety” Dipper insisted, waving his arms around for dramatic effect.

Success was when Wirt laughed gently at his antics, “I trust you, Dip.  No coffee menu for me”

Dipper laughed back as he slid out of his seat to stand beside the cart, “Oh, and Susan’s going to ‘wink’ at you, so be prepared for that”

Wirt simply shook his head disbelievingly and joined Dipper so they could finally enter the establishment.  They fell in step, for the short time it took to get to the door, and Dipper smiled at the sound of their feet in synchronicity.  Feeling a little daring, he hopped up onto the stairs and held the door open for Wirt, who paused, gave him a silent look, smiled, then stepped inside.

Once inside, Dipper guided them to the furthest table from the front, hoping this would get them some privacy.  They quickly sat down across from each other, and Susan wasted no time in getting them menus.  She sauntered over in her signature mauve dress and stained (forever) apron to stand beside the table, one hand on her hip, and the other holding her pot of coffee.

“Hiya, boys!” she said rather loudly, “What can I getcha to drink?”

“Water’s fine, Susan” Dipper smiled.

“And you, new kid?” she directed to Wirt.

“Uh, m-make that two waters, please” Wirt fidgeted in his seat as he answered.  Dipper was hit with a tiny bout of sympathy, because he knew the anxiety that plagued Wirt when it came to social interaction.  Not the normal weary feelings around strangers, but true anxiety.

“Okie dokie, artichokie” And then, lord have mercy, Susan grabbed her dropping eyelid, and flipped it twice at Wirt, “Wink, wink”

She dropped the menus on the table, and left for the kitchen.

There was some silence, but clearly Wirt could not keep it together any longer.  The laughter that left his body was more like air escaping a balloon, and then plenty of quiet gasping, which of course, lead to Dipper’s favourite part; that wonderful snort.  Dipper bit back his own laughter, but that didn’t keep Wirt from being absolutely mortified and covering his face and groaning.  He tried so hard to hold back, because he really didn’t want to hurt Wirt’s feelings, even though the only laughter he would produce would be out of pure joy caused by Wirt’s own awesome laughter.

Miraculously, though, Wirt began to laugh again form behind his hands.  At first it sounded like sobbing, and it gave Dipper a bit of a fright, until Wirt’s hands fell away to reveal his grinning cheeks, flushed face, and watery eyes.  “S-sorry, haha, I was _not_ expecting her to do that.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t _that!_ ”

Dipper couldn’t help but laugh back, and they were stuck trying to read their menus through unforgiving giggle fits.

Eventually, Susan came back and collected their orders, and they were alone again.

“Y-you know” Wirt stuttered, “this is going to sound weird, um, uh, before I met you, I-I didn’t laugh much.  That’s weird, isn’t it?  No, it’s definitely weird”

 _Wait, did I hear that right?  I brought laughter to his life . . .?_ He would love to think that, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions, either.  _Get the facts._ “It’s not weird”

Wirt swallowed, and Dipper internally scolded himself for following his adam’s apple with his greedy eyes.

“I just feel like, maybe, my life was just . . . boring?” Wirt said slowly, clearly gauging Dipper’s reaction, that Dipper was trying really hard not to seem ridiculously excited about.  “I guess I needed some one like you to come along, and I’m glad it was y-”

“Hey”

Oh, Dipper was _this_ close to killing whoever just interrupted them.  He whipped his head towards the sound of the unwanted voice, almost certain he gave himself whiplash in his disgruntled movement.  There stood a young girl, about their age, looking very shy in her stance and her eye were looking anywhere but their eyes, either of them.  Dipper’s initial anger diminished and then he just wanted to know what this girl wanted.

“Hi” Dipper replied, while Wirt gave a tiny wave, not saying a word.

“I-I noticed you’re not from around here” she said meekly towards Wirt, twisting her curly hair in her fingers, “Are you a tourist?”

“Um, well, y-yes and no, I guess.  I’m here for the whole summer . . .” As Wirt finished his sentence, or rather trailed off, this girl began to shift her weight so that her hip jutted out towards him.

Dipper could feel his toes curling in his sneakers.  She was flirting with him, and he wondered if Wirt knew.  Well, he probably knew, but what if?  What if the bit of flirting Dipper had been brave enough to dish out had gone unnoticed?  _Stop thinking about yourself, man._ He needed to focus on the current happenings.  She was flirting, and judging by the way he could suddenly feel Wirt’s shoe pressed against his own under the table, and the way he was picking at the skin around the edges of his nails, he didn’t like it.

“Were you thinking about getting someone to show you around?” she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

“Oh, uh, Dipper’s got that covered, and, yup” Wirt fumbled out.  Her demeanor changed almost immediately.  Her hand flew to her hip, and she looked at him like he was insane.  Then that was washed away and replaced with a fake-as-fake-can-be smile; very toothy.

_Oh, god.  Susan, please hurry with that food, and save us from this._

“I was thinking a _local_ would be better suited f-” she ground out, very obviously giving Dipper the stink-eye.

“Dipper’s fine, thank you . . .”

That’s about when Dipper had had enough, especially seeing a chunk of skin from Wirt’s finger hit the table.  Plus, she knew who he was, that was clear, and she was insulting him.  Dipper just didn’t feel like taking it.  Today was supposed to be special.  “He’s not interested” he said firmly.

“Like you would know, _Pines_ ” An palpable shot at his past crush on Wendy.  Though, how this girl would know something like that, he would never know.  _Who even are you!?_

“I’m actually taken!”

 _Wait, what?_   Both Dipper and the girl turned to Wirt, completely shell-shocked.  Dipper knitted his brow at Wirt, who was sitting ram-rod straight, staring intently at the pattern in the table.  _What is he doing?_

“You’re taken?” she said incredulously, yet still trying to make it sound like she was genuinely disappointed.

“Y-yes, I am” Wirt gulped, “I-In fact, you’re in-interrupting our d-date, s-so”

 _I . . . I must be hearing things.  Did Wirt just say . . .?_ Dipper needed confirmation, and he needed it fast.  So, without saying a word, and hoping that Wirt would know what he was asking without speaking, Dipper put his hand onto the table, out of view of missy pants, and waited.  Without hesitation, Wirt reached across the booth, and laid his hand atop his own.  He tried to hold in a squeak as best as he could, but Wirt was making it hard when he rubbed his thumb along Dipper’s knuckles.  Then he entwined theirs fingers, and Dipper was beaming.

Dipper wasn’t exactly sure what a heart attack felt like, but he was almost sure he was having one just about now.  If a heart attack was described as a horrible tightening in one’s chest, and an acceleration of said heart to the point where one could feel it in their throat, then yes, he was having a heart attack.

The girl scoffed, and jabbed a thumb in Dipper’s face, causing him to flinch away to avoid a thumb in the eye, “Your date?  You’re dating this guy?”

“Hey! I don’t even know you!”  They were gathering the looks of the other patrons at this point.  Dipper didn’t care.

“You don’t need to” she crossed her arms.

“Okay” Wirt said, turning towards the girl, making sure his gaze was firm with hers, “I’m s-sorry the truth offends you so much.  But I-I’m also sorry you don’t know how to accept when someone says ‘no’.  I don’t know what your issue is with Dipper, but I can assure you,” Wirt got up, a good head taller than this girl, “he’s ten times the person you’ll ever be”

Despite the occasional stutter, Wirt stood strong, and Dipper couldn’t have been more proud.  Watching his quiet and reserved best friend put this girl in her place was the most attract- the most amazing thing he’d ever witnessed him do.  And he wasn’t about to pretend his heart didn’t swell when Wirt defended him.  Like a night in shinning armour . . . oh, boy, was he in deep.

Sadly, Dipper could see Wirt’s resolve beginning to shatter.  He started blinking more and more, and the fingers still clutching his own were squeezing just a bit too hard.  This was too much, too fast, for Wirt.

Time to bail him out.

So, Dipper stood up, an intense smugness growing inside him.  Gently, the hand he held was brought to his mouth, and he placed his lips against Wirt’s olive skin and left it there long enough to watch the girl lose her cool.  She huffed and shifter her weight repeatedly, trying her best not to look.  And that was fun, but now his brain was swimming with the smell of Wirt’s skin, and the way it felt on his lips.  So soft.

_Maybe, today will be the day I can make a habit out of this._

Because it was so good.

But he needed to get back on track.  Get rid of tootie-fruity, over here.  Dipper pulled away, and winked condescendingly at her, “So, you’ve been told.  Leave us alone”

Tongue in cheek, the girl flipped her hair, cocking her hip again.  She turned to Wirt once more, “You’ll come to your senses, eventually”

And then she left, rejoining her friends, who had apparently been sidelining it the entire time, and stepped out of the tiny diner.  Slowly, the other patrons returned to their business, and the diner became louder, as it was before.  Some people stared at them for a few more seconds, but eventually everybody went back to doing whatever it was they were doing.  One younger waitress was sneering in the direction the girl and her friends had vacated in.

Dipper, after calming down and processing the current events, cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, “W-would you believe that wasn’t part of today’s plans?”

Wirt didn’t laugh, and just flopped back into the booth gracelessly.   Feeling somewhat like he couldn’t do anything, Dipper sat down, too, never taking his eyes off of Wirt.  But Wirt was staring at the table again, and it hurt Dipper to see him like that.  After that ordeal, Wirt was probably more uncomfortable than a square in a round hole.  Probably embarrassed, too.  Dipper just hoped Wirt wasn’t put out for the rest of the day.

But he also hoped, maybe he could help Wirt forget.

“I’m the worst” Wirt breathed, covering his mouth, “I can’t believe I just used you like that.  I’m so sorry, Dip”

“No, no, it’s fine man!”  _Please, don’t be upset at the thought of being with me.  Please, don’t think that._

“No, I shouldn’t have used you!  I should have just, I dunno, grown a pair and . . .” Wirt sighed.

“Wirt-”

“You boys okay?” Susan piped up, as she stood beside the booth, holding their orders in her hands.

Dipper looked to her, knowing Wirt probably wouldn’t be able to answer her, or wouldn’t want to.  “We’re good, thanks”

“I think it’s nice that you boys are together” she said matter-of-factly, placing the food down on the table, “It’s sweet”

Dipper gaped and sputtered, “Uh, we’re not – I’m mean, we only said that to get that girl to go away!”

“Well you’re holding hands, and only people who are dating hold hands” she wiggled her hips and laughed manically, “wink, wink”

Just about to correct Susan on her assumption, and the fact that she thought only people who were dating could hold hands, Dipper realised they were in fact, still holding hands.  Their fingers were still clasped together on the table, palm to palm.  They had never let go.

And Dipper didn’t want to.

But what did Wirt feel in this moment?  Dipper didn’t know if Wirt wanted people thinking they were together.  After all, Wirt didn’t like labels.

So, reluctantly, Dipper let go, and took his plate from Susan’s hand with a ‘thank you’.

He didn’t see Wirt’s prolonged stare at his hand, where Dipper’s hand once was.

They fell into silence as they ate their meals.  The sound of forks clanking against ceramic plates filled the air.  It was awful.

And the fact that they weren’t speaking was giving Dipper’s mind to run rampant.  Particularly rampant around a certain comment about how Wirt ‘would eventually come to his senses’.  Dipper was scared, because the possibility of that happening was . . . fairly high.  He was a mess.  Wirt and he were just so different, and maybe that was a good thing, but there were subtler things in life, like ‘spicy vs. sweet’ and ‘dog vs. cats’, not ‘poet vs. guy who once raised the fucking dead’!

_So different . . .?_

_Okay, no more of that._   Dipper looked up.  Wirt clearly didn’t know what he’d done today.  And Dipper was about to change that.

A deep breath.

“Coolest guy in the diner?” Dipper enthused with the biggest grin he could muster, his shoulders shrugged.  Wirt met his eyes, and Dipper’s tummy fluttered, now that he had his attention.  Wirt’s chocolate eyes were like a horrible mix of dejected and confused.  _I hope this works_.  Dipper then grabbed two random French fries, one in each hand, and pointed them at Wirt like pistols, “It’s this guy!”

There was a pause.  Wirt’s eyes widened, but his mouth stayed shut.  And, god, all this was doing was making Dipper sweat nervously, though he kept a still face, hoping desperately for a reaction, whether it was bad of good.  He _prayed_ it was good.

Then; Salvation.

Wirt’s complexion began to redden, and his lips were pressed tightly together in a tiny smile.  Wirt hummed and placed his hands in his lap, ducking his head away from Dipper as his smile continued to get bigger and bigger.  “Yeah, okay”

“B-but seriously, Wirt” Dipper blushed, “What you did was cool, and thanks for, y’know, defending me . . .  in a way”

“You deserve it” Wirt whispered, and then smirked, “Chiquita”

“Shut up”

Wirt got a French fry to the face, then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Chiquita threw you off, Abba has a song called Chiquitita.  
> This was going to be a giant update with the whole date in it, but I decided to cut it in two.  
> Suffer lol.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT IS!  
> Now, I am sorry this took so long, but it's also 10k words so, you're welcome as well.  
> This would have been up a while back, but my NEW, WINDOWS TEN LAPTOP, crashed three separate times, WHILE I was writing, EACH TIME.  
> Apparently it's common in windows ten, so fuck windows.  
> Any way, have fun. Remember, this is not beta-read!

Maybe Mabel was telling the truth.  Maybe Dipper really did like him.  Maybe today was supposed to be a date.  Maybe today would have been the day.

Nope.

Today wasn’t going to be the day, because Wirt had panicked.  Any chance that Dipper would (probably, maybe, who knew) tell him his feelings was shot to hell, because he _panicked_. 

Wirt hadn’t meant it.  It slipped out.  For a few glorious moments, he and Dipper pretended to be a couple.  And he could still feel Dipper’s warm, soft lips on his skin.  He could feel the love, and he truly knew then, that Mabel had been telling him the truth, one hundred percent.  But there was that one thing.  It was all make-believe.  They were pretending, because Wirt used Dipper as an escape clause.  Instead of man-ing up, he _used_ Dipper.

He basically told Dipper, that the only time they could ever be considered together, was when Wirt was trying to get rid of someone else.

Well, maybe not that exactly.

But essentially . . .

He could see it Dipper’s eyes.  Dipper was never a very good actor (yet somehow, he kept his feelings so well hidden), and Wirt could see that his demeanor was already suffering.  The excited glow that was there at the beginning, was now more like a stagnant pond, muddy and still.  It was killed, and Wirt was to blame.  His voice had changed a little, too, and Wirt knew Dipper hadn’t noticed the way it cracked when he said ‘it’s okay’.  He wondered if he could take it back.

_I hope you don’t hate me now, Dip._

And that girl.  He had been _this_ close to killing her.  Wirt never knew he could get so angry before.  Where did she get off thinking she could treat Dipper that way (a-and himself)?  Dipper didn’t even _know_ her; so how could _she_ possibly think she knew anything about him, let alone enough to make judgment on him?  She probably hadn’t done anything as amazing as Dipper had in her life.  And clearly, she was nowhere near as, well, _amazing_ as Dipper.  Dipper was amazing.

Simple as that.

And Wirt wasn’t.

 . . . Simple as that.

 _But . . . Dipper m-must not think that._ Regardless of the chance Wirt had just lost, Dipper had kept him around.  There had to be something Dipper saw, something that attracted him.  After all, Dipper lo - liked him.  At least, as long as he trusted Mabel, Dipper liked him.  But why?  What did he have that Dipper liked?  It couldn’t be his looks.  Maybe it was the poetry, or that he could play clarinet.  No, Dipper wasn’t that shallow.  But what?

Wirt didn’t realise he’d sighed loudly until Dipper speaks up beside in the driver’s seat.

“You okay?” he asked, removing his gaze from the road for a split second.

Wirt waited when he noticed the future bump in the road, coming to rupture the smooth ride, and any words the would leave his mouth.  The bump came around and the cart jumped and shook, while Wirt grabbed for anything to steady himself.  His butt left the seat for a moment, and both he and Dipper grunted at the feeling.  “Y-yeah, I’m fine.  Just over thinking things”

Dipper smiled, but not necessarily a happy smile, “Well, our next stop is somewhere quiet.  No more noise.  Sound good?”

“Yeah, it does” As long as it wasn’t forced.  As an introvert, comfortable silence was always welcome.  With all the awkward silence taking up his time with Dipper, though, it was really starting to put him on edge.  He didn’t want silence with Dipper, not the awkward kind, at least. 

They’d only just left the worst occasion of awkward silence he’d ever experienced, back at the diner.  After getting a fry thrown at his face, things were fine, for about two minutes.

Unfortunately, Wirt began to notice that some people had yet to stop staring at the two of them.  Some in slight shock, and sadly, a few disgust (tourists).  To be with his back to the corner of the diner, meant he could see _everyone_ , and their judgemental stares.  Wirt had felt terribly exposed, and he surprised himself by being thankful.  Thankful that Dipper, sitting across from him, could not see how the patrons were looking at them.

He’d never been so happy to leave a place of service before. 

And no, not even when he’d escaped the Unknown.

_Because the Unknown was more ‘dangerous’, than it was ‘discrimination’._

The folly of man, indeed.

“So, where is this ‘somewhere quiet’, Mister Dipper?” Wirt chuckled quietly, using air quotes as he spoke.

“Oh, God.  Mister Dipper?” Dipper gagged jokingly, “I’m gonna need you to never call me that . . . _ever_ ”

Wirt smiled.  He really just wanted to not remind himself of the crap that had just been ruining his mood about five minutes ago.  Besides, Wirt _was_ a little sassy.  “Caaaaan I call you kitten?”

“ _Who told you?!_ ” he screamed, almost tearing his now widened eyes off the trail.

“Oh, come on.  We’ve been friends for four years!” Wirt smirked, then he leaned in and whisper-yelled, “ _I’ve heard you sneeze_ ”

“. . . Y’know, Mister Dipper is starting to grow on me?”

Wirt returned to his previous position, laughing gently, “I’m not going to call you Mister Dipper”

“Oh, Good –”

“Because I like Kitten better”

“Don’t”

The laughter that left him was freaking loud, and horrifyingly consisted of a few unattractive snorts.  His hands flew to cover his mouth so fast he almost gave himself a nose bleed.  And boy did his face ever get hot.  Dipper laughed at that, and Wirt was mortified.  God, the snorts were just one more curse to tack on his list of flaws.  It was so ugly, and the sound reminded him of – well – a pig.  Or was that an insult to Waddles?  Regardless, Dipper was laughing at it, and he was wishing he didn’t even have a nose.

_I could fly into the sun, right about now.  That sounds like a wonderful plan._

“Oh, that snort” Dipper sniffled, recovering slowly from his guffaw.

“You’re evil” Wirt groaned behind his hand.

Suddenly, the cart came to a stop . . . at the base of a hill.  There was a path going up the hill, but it wasn’t exactly weathered to accommodate the tires on a vehicle.  It was pretty obvious why, though.  The incline of the hill was just a bit too steep.

Beside him, Dipper sighed, “Welp.  It’s by foot for the rest”

Wirt groaned even louder, “You are so evil”

.

If Wirt tripped _one more time_ , he was going to loose his mind.

He hadn’t been ready for any hiking.  He didn’t even own a pair of running shoes for shit’s sake.  What he was wearing for shoes; definitely not made for climbing uphill terrain.  Slip.  Slip.  Slip, _if I don’t roll my ankles, it will be a miracle!  Thank God, we left the cooler in the cart._ He would not have been able to lug that thing up here with him, even if Dipper had shared the load.

“How much longer, Dip?” Wirt called, trying to keep himself from sound breathless and irritable.

Dipper stopped climbing, and turned to him, “Not much longer.  Less than a minute, in fact”

Wirt nodded, putting a hand on his hip.

Then, Dipper waddled over to him, dodging larger rocks and branches on the path.  Wirt was slightly confused, until Dipper took his hand, and started walking again.  Honestly, Wirt felt sturdier on his feet immediately, and he once again found himself holding Dipper’s hand that day.

Exhausted or not, this was starting to be one of Wirt’s favourite days.

When his feet were finally planted on the ground at the top of the hill, Wirt felt all the air leave him in a surprised huff.  The view was absolutely breathtaking, and the fierce wind made for a picture of fantasy.  Especially with the sun hanging above the mountains that seemed to reach desperately towards each other, connected only by a bridge, above the town of Gravity Falls.  They were so high up, the birds flew below them, weaving through the trees.  Taller than the water tower, even.  It was cliché to say, but Wirt felt like he was on top of the world.

Wirt breathed in deeply, enjoying the cool wind in his lungs, and letting the inspiration consume him.  All his earlier aches and pains from climbing all the way up the mountain left his body.

It wasn’t going to be hard to write poetry, tonight.

“Dip, this is – it’s so pretty” _Really?  So eloquent there, Wirt._  “It’s Beautiful”

Dipper approached, with the softest smile Wirt had ever seen, “Wait until later.  I’ve got something even better”

“Seriously?” he asked, not actually very surprised.

Dipper chuckled then flopped down on the grass, immediately dropping the backpack, and sighed in contentment.  Wirt kept quiet for sec, then he was interrupted by the sound of Dipper patting the ground beside him, looking up at him expectantly.  He felt his cheeks grow pink, but he definitely wasn’t about to refuse.  So, he lowered himself, and sat down gently, just a bit of space between them.  He still wasn’t sure about his actions, and didn’t want to push anything.  Dipper bumped his shoulder, and Wirt reciprocated.

Finally, they got to sit in _comfortable_ silence together.  Dipper looked so happy just being here with him, Wirt was sure that he was dreaming.  Although, he did remember waking up this morning, and indulging in a cup of tea that Dipper had made for him.  That tea had been great.  And he truly loved that Dipper had thought of him.

As he thought this, Dipper turned to him, grinning brightly, and boy did Wirt feel it.  Right in his chest.  That smile was just for him, or at least, he’d like to pretend it was.

And with a little bit of bravery, Wirt smiled back, and leaned in a bit.

“Thirsty?” Dipper asked.  Wirt almost choked on air, and instantly Dipper scooted about half a foot away, sputtering, “I-I mean, because that – we just climbed up that hill for the past fifteen minutes, a-and” but he did not finish.  Instead, he dipped into his backpack, while Wirt willed his face to cool down.  When Dipper came back up, his face was just as red, but he was now holding a thermos.  “Here.  The closest t-thing I could get to tea . . .”

Wirt cleared his throat, before taking the thermos with a very quiet and shy thanks.  He was curious, and spent a second or two trying to guess what could possibly be in the can, but then he realised that was dumb, and he could just open it up.  He’d get results much faster that way.  Now, though, Wirt was a bit embarrassed, and he accidently fumbled the lid around before taking an incautious swig.

When the mystery drink was swallowed, Wirt grinned the rim of the thermos, and glanced at Dipper, “Iced Tea?”

“Yeah . . . I hope cold tea is okay” Dipper scratched his forehead, looking down at his lap.

“You know me better than I do, Dip” Wirt said quietly.

But that was a lie.  Dipper only knew the surface.  Dipper didn’t know the shitty person on the inside; the one who nearly killed his brother, the one who abandoned his brother, the one who had blamed his brother.  The coward.

As he thought, he sipped slowly and sparsely at his iced tea.  The thoughts were coming back, as they did in front of the mirror, and down in the basement.  Wirt’s head began to pound, and his belly started to hurt.  They were coming back to torment him.

_No, stop thinking about it.  Your going to ruin what you’ve got right now.  Literally, right now._

“Well, I should hope I’d know you pretty well.  Four years and all . . .” Dipper laughed as he trailed off.

 _A change of subject is desperately needed_.  “So, um, any particular reason we’re up here, or was it just for the view?” Wirt said, “Not that the view isn’t perfect, but, uh, I’ll just stop talking” _Smooth._

“No, no.  Keep talking.  I like it when you’re talking” Dipper replied shyly, as he turned away to drag over the back pack.

“O-oh, alright, um” Oh, boy.  What should he talk about?  _Dipper wants you to talk, say something.  _“I-I don’t know what to talk about . . .”

Dipper simply chuckled, and continued to rummage through the backpack.  The sound of various objects clashing together was drowned out by the loud white noise created with the wind in their ears.  Wirt watched in a daze, not fully taking in Dipper’s actions, but just observing his general movements.  Until Dipper pulled back with a fisted hand, hiding whatever it was he had retrieved from the recesses of the bag within his curled fingers.

Afterwards, Dipper leaned on his free hand and held out the other in front of them.  No further actions were made, though, and Wirt became rather confused.  His eyes were trained on the fist, brows knit, and lips pursed slightly.  On a whim, Wirt followed Dipper’s arm, until he was crawling up Dipper’s jaw using his sight.  Finally, he met Dipper’s gaze, completely unaware he’d been looking at him until his eyes met amber orbs.  Why was he looking at him?  Had he done something wrong?  He was expecting something, wasn’t he?  Oh, dear.

The questions were answered with a toothy grin, and an unexpected giggle, “Well, get closer, man”

Hesitation crept through his entire being, keeping Wirt still for a few seconds.  But, as if Dipper hadn’t noticed his apprehension, he lifted his rear from the ground, and brought it closer before dropping it back on the grass.  Wirt gulped, feeling the blood rush to his face as he did so.  He noticed that there was still a tiny gap between them, and Dipper seemed to be waiting.  Realisation hit his right in the chest.  Dipper wanted him to close the space between; and he wasn’t very good at refusing Dip’s puppy-dog eyes (pout or not).  So, Wirt dragged his butt across the grass slowly, probably staining his pants with dirt, until his knee brushed Dipper’s.  More than brushed, actually, for Dipper’s shorts, and his own pants, bunched at the firm contact.

The proximity didn’t stop there, though.  It seemed that Dipper wasn’t contented with just that.  Wirt was already having trouble with keeping his heartbeat at a healthy rate, so, it _really_ didn’t help that Dipper placed a hand on the ground behind him, and leaned in to the point where their chests were half an inch apart.  If Wirt breathed too hard, there would be contact, and God, that hand was far too close to his ass.  But God, he almost didn’t _care_.

“This” Dipper began, lifting his arm to be straight out in front of them, as it was before, “is something Stanford showed me”

Wirt spared a second-long glance to Dipper’s eyes, before returning his attention to the fist.  One by one, the fingers released, and his interest only grew.  Suddenly, a glowing object bound to a tiny chain fell from Dipper’s hand, suspended between his thumb and palm.  It was a trinket, clearly from the gift shop back home, shaped like your stereotypical flying saucer . . . and it fell to perfectly align with the outline of the chasm the stretched between the two – seemingly – identical mountains.

A very tiny breath of air left him in amazement, “Are you kidding me?”

“Not even a little” Dipper whispered.

“Aliens?” _Oh, very eloquent there, Wirt._

Dipper chuckled, making his body shake against his own.  “You know; I wish I’d remembered to set up my camera.  Your face is everything, right now”

 _My face?_ Wirt scrunched his face for a second, then turned his head, “You brought the ca –”

Boop

He’d been unaware Dipper had been facing him.

Their noses collided in a squishy bundle, and their eyes were stuck on each other’s.  The pupils of Dipper’s beautiful eyes were blown wide, and dark, like a black hole, trying to suck him in and keep him there forever.  It was starting to feel like his heart wanted to get lost in those eyes, with how horribly fast it was beating in his chest.  Forget butterflies, Wirt was sure birds were trying to take flight in his tummy.  But . . . he kind of liked it.

Having their noses touch, meant this was the closest their lips had ever been to one another’s, and Wirt was unable to pull away.  _Why hasn’t Dipper pulled away?  Why haven’t I pulled away?  _But he knew why.  Oh, did he _ever_ know why he hadn’t pulled away.

Reality smacked Wirt like a flying brick to the face when Dipper glanced down briefly at his lips, only to bring them back to his own.

Wirt was the one to pull back . . .

“Um” Wirt sat back slowly, as to not make it seem like he was disgusted or frightened (because he definitely wasn’t), “Aliens?  A-are you, uh, is this a prank or s-something?  Not that I don’t believe you!  I just – I’m just digging myself into a deeper hole, aren’t I?”

“No, yeah.  There are aliens . . .” Dipper got out, then trailed off, wiping his brow and laughing with just his breath.

“In Gravity Falls?  Like, right now?”

Still glued on his face, Dipper dangled the UFO in little circles, never looking away, but finally calming the shocked expression in eyes, “No, not anymore.  Don’t worry about it”

“Oh” _Thank God._

“The spaceship is still here, though” Dipper tacked on nonchalantly, acting as if Wirt couldn’t see the dark hue still painting his cheeks, “It’s down the hill a bit.  You can actually see it from here, if you look over the edge”

Wirt shifted a bit, keeping his rear planted on the ground, but cautiously leaning his upper body forward.  Just off to the right, there was a perfectly rounded mound, completely off-looking to the rest of the mountain, especially with the patches of metal peeking out of the grass.  It jutted out at a weird angle, clearly from the very obvious crash landing after blowing a hole through the mountain that stood in front of them.  Wirt wondered how much of the craft was laying dormant under his butt.

“You see that rock?” Wirt did.  “That rock is on top of the entrance to the ship”

“You weren’t, um, planning to take me there . . .?”

“NO!  Definitely not, man.  Way too fucking dangerous” Dipper squawked, “I mean, last time I was there, Uncle Ford and I almost died, so – ”

“I’m sorry.  What?” Wirt squeaked in response to Dip’s squawk, “You almost died?”

“Um,” Dipper paused, an licked his lips nervously, “I mean, I’m exaggerating a bit – ”

How does someone exaggerate death?  One is either dead or not dead.  _O-or walking aimlessly through the Unknown . . ._ “How often do you ‘almost’ die, Dip?”

“. . . You don’t want me to answer that.”

And that was it.  His brain began to work in overtime, conjuring distorted pictures of Dipper’s mangled or contorted body laying lifeless in the dirt.  He could see the dull, misty cloud that would cover his eyes, never to _see_ again.  His body would slowly become colder, stiffer.  He would never walk among the living.  He’d be lost in the woods, with the dead, forever.

“I . . . need to lie down” And Wirt truly did.  All that love, and the wonderful feelings that had coursed through his veins had been replaced with the need to vomit.  He could almost taste it, as the pictures came back with a vengeance, forcing the bile up.  It never made it to his mouth, but he certainly felt it try to make its way up his throat.

Biting his lips shut, Wirt slowly laid back on his elbows, and then from that height, dropped quickly to the ground.  He relished the feeling of the bumpy dirt under his back, because it was already calming his erratic stomach.

_Banish the thoughts . . ._

_As if I’ve ever been good at doing that._

There was a rustle beside him, as Dipper lowered himself down, much like Wirt had just done.

“I’m sorry” Dipper sighed, “I . . . didn’t think that would upset you”

Confused, Wirt looked at him, sure that Dipper had smoked something odd, “Y-you thought I wouldn’t be bothered by talk of your death?  Dip, are you crazy?”  _Why would he think I don’t care?  Does he really think that little of me?_ Who wouldn’t care if the love of their life were to just up and die?

_WHOA!  Love of my life?!_

_. . . when did it become . . . love?_

“Only about you” And his eyes practically bugged out his skull, “I MEAN – ”

The laughed that bubbled from his chest fell out with abandon.

Right then, Wirt didn’t feel embarrassed about what Dipper had just said.  He didn’t feel awkward, or weird.  He didn’t want it to be weird.  In fact, he felt warmth budding from his heart.

_It was always love, I think._

This new revelation had him wanting to do something drastic.

And he always did this.  Wirt remembered specifically returning from the Unknown, suddenly obtaining the courage to invite Sara to his house, when just hours earlier, he couldn’t even give her his cassette.  But, maybe that was because he’d been reminded that time passed with or without you, and he needed to get a move on.

So, because time moved on . . . Wirt shuffled for a bit until he was perpendicular with Dipper, and placed his head directly on Dipper’s tummy.  Wirt used all the courage he had to pull that off, feeling the butterflies coming home to reside inside him once more.  Wirt almost felt terrible when his new pillow tensed under his weight.  Biting his lip again, he dared to turn his head toward Dipper’s face.  Dipper looked . . . like he’d seen a ghost; pale in the face, and completely shocked.  He almost considered getting up, thinking he’d pushed it, that he’d gone too far, but then Dipper smiled at him, and laid his head back onto the ground, completely serene.  His tummy calmed, and Wirt sighed as his head rose up and down with Dipper’s breathing.  A human pillow was pretty great, and Dipper had just become his new favourite pillow.

“Aside f-from almost dead-ness, what did you find in this spaceship?”

“Oh, y’know, alien hieroglyphics, mile-high pillars of metal, and outer-dimensional architecture you could only dream of seeing.” Dipper chuckled, “And security droids”

“Yeah, okay” Wirt finished in a defeated tone, but he was anything but.

This was great.

And it continued to be great until he fell asleep.

.

 Oh, he was home again.

Everything felt so soft and perfect, like his bed in Massachusetts.  So he had to be home, right?  Of course he was.  His pillow was warm and fluffy, and he dug his face into it and moaned, like he would every morning, hoping it would take him back into dream land.

Although, he knew it wouldn’t last.  Sooner or later, Greg would waltz right into his room, and wake him up violently with his lack of indoor-voice, or you know, manners.  Any minute now, Greg would hop on the bed, and demand Wirt make him waffles, because ‘Wirt’s waffles are the best, dontcha know’.  He’d have to drag himself from the comforting cocoon of sheets, and the wonderful feeling of his squishy pillow.  But Greg would not take away his peace just yet.

Wirt breathed in deeply and nuzzled his pillow deeply.

_Mmm . . . Dipper._

_. . . Dipper?_

Groggily, Wirt pried his eyes open, then blinked away the sleep as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings.  Initially, he felt his heart stop when he saw not his bed and room back home, but the length of Dipper’s torso, leading up his chest to his face.  Of course, he remembered next that he wasn’t home, but in Gravity Falls, and the panic ebbed away as he sighed.  He remembered putting his head down on Dipper and falling asleep, and how Dipper let him.

If the heat rising to his face was any indication, it was about time he removed himself from Dipper’s person.

That is . . . if Dipper didn’t have a hand on his face.

Yup, Dipper’s hand, warm and calloused, was gently sitting atop his cheek.  Dip’s thumb sat at the corner of his mouth, and his ear was caught between the index and middle fingers, while the others held his neck.  As he breathed, those fingers kneaded his skin softly.  Every movement elicited a tiny mumble.  Dipper was still asleep.

Wirt didn’t want to wake him.  Eventually he’d have to, but he’d let him be for now.  Dipper just looked so relaxed, with his head lolled to the side, and the little grin that curled his lips.  His head bobbed in a beautiful rhythm with Dipper’s breathing; up and down, and up and down.  And truly, his hand upon his skin was just absolutely comforting.  The hand may have been holding his head in place, but it also made him feel secure, like a needed loving connection, even in sleep.

_I feel so loved . . ._

Wirt sighed, and closed his eyes once more.  He silently shifted to place a hand on top of Dipper’s, pushing his palm down further on his face, savouring the feel of their contact.  It was silly, but Wirt just kept the hand there, rubbing his own finger’s along Dipper’s knuckles, all while breathing in the smell of his skin.  _It’s not like I-I’d get away with this when he’s awake._

_I wish I could, though._

“Ngh” Dipper moaned, “Wir-”

Wirt watched with tentative eyes as Dipper’s head rolled to face the opposite way, taking pride in the fact that he’d said his name in his sleep.

This was short-lived, though, because Dipper began to stir even more, wiggling under the weight of Wirt’s head.  His heart began to speed up, so he tore himself away before Dipper could become to aware, and catch him caressing his hand longingly.  Wirt could only imagine how bad that could have been.  Not that this was any better, because the violent removal of his body caused Dipper to jolt into consciousness, looking absolutely disturbed and confused.

_Oops_

Dipper scrubbed his eyes, and sat up with a grunt that really made him sound like he was an old man, “Shit . . . what time is it?  Am I late for school?”

Wirt scoffed playfully, “You missed the whole day, Dip”

“WHAT?” Dipper screeched, meeting his gaze finally.  All traces of sleep leaping off his face, and replacing it with shock.

“Summer, Dip” Wirt laughed, “You’re fine”

Dipper basically melted in place when he heard that, and Wirt thought it was cute, “Geez, don’t do that . . .”

Both taking the time to chill a bit, Wirt looked to the sky, realising it had taken on an orange glow, rather then the earlier blue hue it had been.  The sun was much more in line with his eye sight; big and bright, breaching between the mountains.  It was almost evening.

Wirt shuffled about, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep” For literal hours. “Um, sh-should we head back?  I-I’m really sorry I wasted our time . . .”

“What?” he reeled, then nodded towards the sun, “No, no.  This is perfect, actually.”  Dipper stretched intensely before hoping to his feet, and held a hand out to Wirt.  Biting his lip, Wirt took it, and he was hoisted gently to his feet.  Once standing, Dipper pulled him close, making him gasp.  “You _never_ waste my time”

“O-okay” Wirt mumbled through his blush.

Dipper never let go of Wirt’s hand, and the two of them stumbled down the hill back to the golf cart.  The entire trek was filled with comfortable silence on Dipper’s end, and wobbly steps, burning cheeks and confusion on Wirt’s.

They finally got back to the cart, and slipped in to their respective spots.  Dipper started the cart, and they drove off in an unfamiliar direction.

“So, did you sleep well?” Dipper chuckled.

“Considering I had the best pillow I’ve ever slept on, I’d say yes” Wirt blushed, keeping his eyes on the road, and hoping Dipper was doing the same.  “Did you?”

“Absolutely” Dipper smiled.

“What’d you dream about?” _Wirt, you’re treading in dangerous territory_.

“. . . Uh.  W-what did you dream about?” Dipper stuttered.

“I asked you first”

“I asked you second”

“Dipper” Wirt started quietly, “I-I’m kidding around.  You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to”

Dipper sighed, “I . . . dreamt about you . . .”  His fingers gripped the steering wheel like a lifeline, and Wirt grew wide in the eyes.

 _Oh.  Oh my God.  He . . . he admitted it.  Holy cow._ “You did?”

“Yeah.  Yes, we were hanging around!” Dipper wiggled in his seat, “And stuff . . .”

An awkward silence plagued them again.  Wirt knew, this time, it was his fault. 

Why did he think it was a good idea to ask his best friend what he was dreaming about?  He already knew the answer, and all he did was upset Dipper by bringing it up!  Maybe he just wanted to be given confirmation on something that made him feel so nice.  He wanted Dipper to dream of him, and think of him in his waking hours.  Wirt didn’t even know when he had gotten so selfish, but it just wouldn’t stop.  Maybe it was because Dipper took up every possible thought in his own mind.  In his own heart.  Having Dipper admit to dreaming of him felt like fireworks going off in his chest.

_Why did I do that to him?_

“So, um, you’ll be happy to know that there isn’t any walking included in our next destination”

Wirt turned his head towards him, “Oh, yeah?”

Dipper nodded, “Yup.  But there will be a bit of swimming”

“Swimming?”

“I hope you’re wearing something you don’t mind getting wet” he chuckled, then furrowed his brow, “I should have warned you . . .”

Wirt licked his lips, and picked at his shirt, pulling away from his skin and taking a good, long look at it.  Well, no, he wasn’t really wearing clothing he wanted get wet.  The pants, maybe, but definitely not his shirt.  He’d have to take it off.  In front of Dipper.  _Oh, boy._   “Mister Dipper, that’s twice now you’ve tricked me into exercising, today” Wirt scolded jokingly.

“Haha, well, have you seen me?  I kinda need it.  I guess I figured I’d drag you into it with me” Dipper laughed sadly.

“What are you taking about?” Wirt asked, “No you don’t” _Shut up!  You’ve already upset him too many times today!  Don’t tell him he doesn’t need to exercise if he thinks he does.  You’re only going to make it worse.  You always do!_

“Best pillow you’ve ever had” Dipper noted gloomily.

 _Oh, no._   “N-no, I didn’t mean it that way!  I just – I thought you were really comfy, but _not_ b-because of your weight.  You’re not even that big, and I mean, you look great!  I just like your body, is all” Of course, Wirt almost spontaneously combusted after he heard these words come out of his mouth.  “OH, WOW!  I just said that!  I-I didn’t –” _Oh, lord.  Please don’t look at me!_

Wirt thought this, yet he still chanced a glimpse towards Dipper, who he found was red in the face, and staring at him in astonishment.  Dipper’s mouth was slightly agape, and the look in his eyes made Wirt gulp.

“D-Dipper, e-eyes on the road” He said this, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off of Dipper, either.  Eventually, Dipper did have to look back to where they were going, and Wirt wasn’t going to mention the fact that he noticed the cart pick up a bit of speed.  Not that a golf cart could go very fast, but Dipper was lead-footing it.  Wirt exhaled and shrank in his seat, sliding down the worn material until his butt was hanging off the end of the seat, while he covered his face with his hands, silently wishing he could disappear.

And so, the awkward silence remained.

Wirt didn’t see the impossible large grin on Dipper’s face.

Soon after, Dipper pulled the cart off the beaten path, and began to weave it between rocks and trees, before parking it on a bumpy patch of ground.  Wirt peeked between his fingers, and deduced that they must’ve arrived at their final destination of the day.  Or at least, that’s what he assumed.  Wirt wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking at.

In front of the cart, was just . . . nothing.  There was no glen, no lake or pond; there were trees, and a hole.  A rather big hole, but it just seemed like an indent in the earth that was probably housing some fungus and clover.

As he continued to ponder his surroundings, Dipper slipped out of the driver’s seat, and meandered over to the backpack in the rear seat.  Wirt sat up straight and watched him pull out an industrial sized flashlight, and toss it around in his hands like it was nothing.  When he was finished with that, Dipper came back around to the front, only this time he came up along the passenger’s side.  Brows raised, Wirt tried to hold back a laugh when he saw how excited Dipper was.  Especially as Dipper grabbed his forearm, and gave it a tiny tug, coaxing Wirt out of the cart.

Wirt obliged and followed Dipper’s lead, his arm still in Dip’s firm grip.

“I think you’ll like this the best” Dipper smiled.

“Oh?” Wirt let Dipper literally drag him along.

Closer and closer they got to the hole, which Wirt was stunned to find wasn’t just a depression in the ground, but a full-on hole; a sink hole.  The outer ring of the hole was actually an overhang of packed dirt and pebbles, leaning out over the darkest cavity he’d ever seen in his eighteen years.  Looking down, there was nothing but black, reflecting not light what-so-ever.  An inky black chasm, leading to God knows where.  For all he knew, this hole could go on forever.

And they were getting too close.

Thankfully, Dipper slowed down, and let go of his arm.  Wirt fell behind, and Dipper kept going.  The relief he briefly felt went ‘poof’ when he watched Dipper step far too close to the edge.  His heart practically stopped, and all he could think about was how there was no way the overhang could be strong enough to hold his best friend.  He could see the ground crumble beneath his feet, and how he wouldn’t be fast enough to catch Dipper before he tumbled into that pit of nothing.  Would Dipper scream?  Would _he_ scream?

But that moment never came.

Not that that kept the lump in his throat from cutting off his air supply, or keep his heart from flip-flopping in his chest.  Not that it kept the horrible images of his own body dropping into the cold, unforgiving depths of a certain lake, situated on the other side of a certain garden wall.

“So” Dipper began, dropping the flashlight, and causing Wirt to jump painfully, “this is where we’ll be swimming”

“W-what?” _I’m confused_ “I-isn’t that a sink hole?”

Dipper did not answer immediately, because he had begun to remove his shirt, revealing his very nice body for Wirt to pretend like he wasn’t admiring.  Everything was just so nice to look at, he couldn’t help himself.  He still wanted answers, though, so Wirt tried not to spend to much time gawking.

The shoes came off, and Dipper said, “Well, there’s water at the bottom”

“And . . . h-how deep is it?” Wirt was afraid of the answer.

Although, knowing how deep it was and freaking out about it was preferable to what happened next.

Dipper took his hat off, and unlike every other article of clothing, he put this one down with care.  He looked into Wirt’s eyes, and Wirt was not fond of that smirk that accompanied the look.  “I’ll tell you in a second” he said as he turned around.

And then he jumped.

“DIP!” he screamed as he dove at the hole.

On his hands and knees, Wirt scurried to the edge, and grabbed the brink to lean over.  His priority was to find Dipper!  But he couldn’t see him, because it was far too dark.  The inky blackness was the only thing that met his sight.  His eyes darted along the entire perimeter of the crater, desperately hoping to see _some_ sort of movement.  Dipper’s body, a ripple of water, _anything!_ Why was it so dark!?

Panic forced the air in his lungs to fly out, and return in ragged huffs, his chest heaving forcefully, and painfully.  _WHERE IS HE?!_

And on top of all this, Dipper hadn’t even resurfaced!  God, the horrible things that could have happened.  What if he was drowning?  Dipper could have hit his head, or he could be stuck under the surface.  He wouldn’t know, because it was _too fucking dark!_

Now he knew for a fact that Dipper could swim, but so could he, yet he still found himself at the bottom of a lake, suffocating, cold, and lost.  He still woke up in an unrecognisable forest, doomed to wander aimlessly, wondering what had gone wrong.  Oh, God, that couldn’t happen to Dipper.  Dipper in the Unknown; the phrase was like acid in his thoughts.

He’d rather see himself in the Unknown once more, before ever subjecting Dipper to it.

_Dipper-_

Suddenly, somewhere far below, a dot of light began to glow.  Then another one, and another.  Wirt gasped, with his eyes finally stationary, focussing on the pin-points of colour that were appearing seemingly from nowhere.  One by one, the crater filled with an array of blues, purples, and pinks.  Strings of light cut through the water, that he could now see, illuminating everything between him, and the bottom of the hole.  Along the bottom, giant crystals erupted up from the murk up like spears, brighter than any of the specks floating in the water, generating most of the swirling radiance.

A diamond mine of luminosity.  An ocean of glitter.

It was like looking at a star-filled sky, mere feet away from his curious grasp.

And Dipper, well . . . a wonderful silhouette, surrounded by the beams of light from below, was kicking around under the water’s surface.  Seconds later, his body shot through the surface with water flying in every direction, and a loud inhalation.  Dipper treaded the water, and very attractively brushed his hair out of his face, grinning up at him beautifully.  He was so excited, and definitely proud of himself for nearly giving Wirt a heart attack.

But he hadn’t drowned, and that was all Wirt cared about.

Wirt collapsed, “Dipper Pines, are you trying to kill me?  I thought you’d just jumped to your freaking death . . .”  The image of Dipper lost in the forest was leaving him.  “When did you become so cheeky?” he sighed, holding his chest.

“Oh, gee.  I’m so sorry” Dipper laughed.  Wirt knew he wasn’t actually sorry.  He was having too much fun.  “Are you coming in or what?”

Was he going to?  The previously murky depths were now aglow, and terribly inviting.  It no longer looked like the gateway to the underworld, or the first step in the Unknown.  Especially with Dipper floating in the middle of it all, looking like he was standing on a crystal ball room floor.  Boy, did he ever want to be down there with him.  Why wasn’t he down there, right then?

“Please” And there was the pout.

Wirt made up his mind, “. . . One second”

A second to breathe, and Wirt crawled backwards from the hole, hoping that having a lower centre of gravity would keep the over hang from falling apart . . . even though he’d already been proven wrong on that assumption.  That didn’t change his mind on his current actions though.

Once he was far enough away to feel comfortable, Wirt struggled back into a standing position.  He stood still for a few seconds, just steadying his breathing, that had begun to waver at the prospect of jumping into a _hole_.  But it was fine.  It was _fine_.  The crater was brightly lit, nothing like the those few times he . . . well, yeah.

And Dipper was down there.

_I’ll . . . be fine._

The shirt came off slowly; hesitantly.  It was discarded with Dipper’s shirt and cap on the ground.  Then the – God damn it – mismatched shoes came off, along with the socks.  He folded his pant legs, until he was sure the wouldn’t unravel themselves.

“Wirt?” Dipper called.

“I’m . . .” Wirt’s voice cracked, “just about ready”

Inhale

Exhale

One

Two

Three

Wirt jumped, the air rushing past him, as he watched the water get closer and closer.  Brighter and brighter did his surroundings become, until he broke the surface.  From foot to head, the cool water engulfed him, and he sank with held breath.  He was suddenly overwhelmed with colour; colour so bright it permeated his closed eyes, making it seem like they weren’t closed at all, and that he was standing in the noon-day sun.  Wirt almost forgot he was underwater at all.  But he remembered, as a musician who played a wind instrument, that he did not need to be concerned just yet.  He was too busy trying to figure out why his fingers and toes were tingling, and why he felt so . . . happy.

When his lungs finally began to burn, asking for the air they desperately needed, he kicked up towards salvation.  Wirt breached as his inhaled the much needed oxygen.

“Yay!” Dipper smiled as he clapped his hands above his head as if he were praising a young child, “You jumped in!”

Wirt smiled too, because he couldn’t help it for some reason he couldn’t quite explain, “Don’t you patronise me”

They both treaded in place for a moment or two, simply laughing at one another while trying to keep their heads high.  Wirt was certain something was fishy with this tiny oasis of sorts.  Never in his life had he jumped from utter panic, to utter contentment so fast.  Maybe it was the glow, or the stunning crystal stalagmites mere feet below his, well, feet.  Maybe it was the colourful specks that were adhering to his and Dipper’s skin, like rainbow freckles.  Wirt didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to complain.

Wirt sighed happily, and looked to Dipper.  Well, Dipper had his eyes closed gently, and his body almost completely submerged, the water line sitting just below his nostrils.

“Dip” Wirt started, “What is this?  Did you drug the water?”

Without warning, and eruption of bubbles exploded out of Dipper’s mouth, spraying water right into his nose and eyes, causing him to raise his head from the glittery water and groan dramatically at the feeling of his clogged nostrils.  “ _MYEH!_ Why’d you make me laugh?” Dipper yelled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I didn’t say anything funny!” Wirt laughed boisterously.

“You did, though!”

“Seriously, Dipper” he snorted, not even a little embarrassed for once, “What’s going on?  Why do I feel weird?”

“Oh, it’s like a, uh, chemical that comes off the crystals” he answered, grinning wide and pointing downwards, “That’s what the specks are.  They’re bioluminescent particles that emit strong feelings of happiness when agitated!”  Soon, after, without giving Wirt time to process, Dipper dove into the water, and popped back out about a foot away from his face, cheeks puffed dangerously.

“I don’t get – _AUGH_ ” Wirt screeched, spitting water off of his lips, due to a certain Pines bombarding him in the face with shiny water from his mouth.

“Oh, my God, you should see your face!” Dipper swooned excitedly, “I just spit a galaxy right onto your skin!”

Wirt scrubbed his face swiftly, and opened his eyes, hoping to execute a glare in Dipper’s direction.  Although, he was a little distracted; “Never mind my face!  Dip, the inside of your mo- Is that safe?”

“What?  Is my mouth shiny?” Dipper quipped, licking his teeth.  Then he lowered his voice to the point that Wirt almost couldn’t hear him, “ _Wanna make yours match?_ ”

Wirt flinched, “What?”

“What?” Dipper returned, pretending he hadn’t said anything.  But he had, and Wirt had heard him.  Dipper wouldn’t look him in the face now, further proving he’d said something, even though he had tried to make Wirt believe he didn’t.  His eyes were everywhere, and at one point they were staring at the sky.

Wirt knew things were getting weird again, even with the artificial happiness coursing through his body.  He didn’t want to ruin this, so he let it go.  Instead, he followed Dipper’s lead, at looked up as well.

Wirt hadn’t realised how close the night was until he saw stars in the sky, far above the treeline.  It was slightly surreal.  People dreamed of traveling into outer space.  People dreamed of floating through the cosmos, and touching the nearest star.  And here he was, swimming in a galaxy, and touching every star in swirls.  Wirt could feel the stars dance along his skin, and move them around with a swish of his fingers.  He never even had to step out of the atmosphere.

_But . . . there’s still seven little stars that I can’t touch._

On Dipper’s face, seven stars sat upon.  His skin was blessed with an asterism, that was drawn out perfectly, and linked him to the cosmos.  Wirt had seen it years ago, and he was almost sure his best friend was made of magic.  Many poems were inspired by this birthmark, but he’d never tell him that.  He dreamed of tracing this birthmark with his finger, but he’d never tell him that.  He wished he could put his lips on this birthmark, then kiss down his nose, and finally to kiss his lips.  But he’d never tell him that.

The water sloshed slightly, returning Wirt to the present, as he looked down.  Dipper had dunked his head one more time, he figured, as he was brushing his hair back with his hands, revealing the birthmark that he’d just been fawning over; the one he loved.  Although, Dipper’s hair was untameable, as it just flopped back into place, draping on his skin, and covering up the stars he wished he could stare at forever.  As it disappeared, Wirt shifted his gaze down just a bit, meeting those amber eyes, like stars themselves with the purples, blues and pinks reflecting in them.  The under glow casted an angelic illumination, that danced on his cheeks, that Wirt wasn’t sure he _wasn’t_ looking at an angel.  Every glittery speck sparkled as he breathed, glittering sporadically with the movements.  Then Dipper smiled, and Wirt swore he could see the far expanses of a nebula in his eyes.

His heart palpitated, harder and louder than ever before.  His tummy hurt, like someone was punching him, and he rung his hands under the water, the tingling from before never leaving.  He was staring, and he didn’t even care, because Dipper didn’t seem to care, either.  The longer he looked, the more his chest tightened, constricting his heart with every stifling breath.

The edges of Dipper’s mouth curved even more, as he said, “I know that today’s been kinda bumpy, but I hope it was as good for you as it was for me”

Wirt could feel his pulse in his throat and the tip of his fingers.

He couldn’t wonder anymore.

He had to ask.

“. . . Dip” Wirt whispered, “W-was this, um, was this a d-date . . .?”

 _I mean, it had to be, right?_  Everything up until this point was leaning towards ‘actions one does for a date’. Dipper had taken him out to lunch, then showed him an amazing view on a mountain, all alone together, like a scene from a romantic movie, and then brought him here.  He’d made him feel like the only person worth spending his time with.  And every time he held his hand, it was truly magical.  Something so simple felt like the most amazing thing ever.  The feeling of Dipper’s calloused hand taking his and kissing it.

_Unless . . ._

Dipper reeled slightly, but recovered with a tiny smile, eyes downcast.  He laughed breathily and shook his head.  Wirt almost frowned, and he probably would have if it weren’t for the artificial happiness seeping into his very being.  Dipper was shaking his head at him, and laughing . . .

_God, I’m so stupid.  He’s laughing at me for even thinking that this could have been a date, isn’t he?  This was probably just a casual outing to him.  Why did I even think-?_

Wirt was abruptly pulled from his thoughts when Dipper inched closer, causing water to lap up onto his shoulders.  Dipper breathed, and Wirt flinched when a hand touched his own below the surface.  His breath hitched as their fingers fumbled about, then to finally intertwine, the spaces between being filled with Dipper’s trembling fingers.  The tingling erupted, becoming increasingly prominent, to the point where he could feel it in his elbows.  Could Dipper feel it too?

_I can hear my heart in my ears._

Dipper gulped, and despite the many colours flittering around them, Wirt could see his best friends face turning red, “D-did you want it to be?”

“W-well, I-I mean, uh . . .” Wirt stuttered out, growing warm in _many_ places.  He couldn’t look away from Dipper’s glistening eyes.  Drowning in them, is what he was doing.  They were soft, and pleading.  Pleading for what though?  Wirt thought, maybe, there was hope in those eyes.  Maybe, Dipper was hoping for; “Yes”

If he thought he was drowning before, having Dipper’s body collide with his, weighing him down into the water had him sinking further.  Dipper’s arms coiled around his neck, and Wirt’s face smashed into his shoulder.  He’d forgotten they were shirtless until he could feel the skin of his chest rubbing against his own.  There was not chance Dipper couldn’t feel his heart pounding, now!  Wirt twitched in shock, as he heard little sob-like laughter break out from Dipper’s throat, and as he felt those warm arms squeeze him tightly.

After some time, just listening to Dipper laugh, and having his throat close up from being overwhelmed, Wirt finally wrapped his own arms around Dipper’s waist, pulling him closer, and savouring how their bellies felt when they touched.  He couldn’t help dipping his head down, and inhaling Dipper’s scent discreetly, loving it deeply.  

Wirt tried with all his might not to whine when Dipper pulled away, but he was pleasantly surprised when Dipper didn’t fully pull away, and instead unfurled his arms from around his neck, and held his face gently with both hands, his thumbs caressing his warming cheeks tenderly.  Their stomachs were still touching, but Wirt was more focused on the way those hands felt, and how Dipper’s eyes were locked on his; no embarrassment, and no fear.  Man, how he’d wanted a moment like this.  Wirt was sure something like this could never happen to him.  Not with the person he truly loved, at least (he didn’t get to even have this with Sara).  Never really expecting it, but God, was it ever fantastic to have it.  To be held like he was wanted, like he was desired.

“I-I think this is a long time coming . . . over three years” he laughed.  Dipper rubbed tiny circles on his cheeks, and Wirt sighed, loving every second.  Although, while Wirt enjoyed himself, Dipper seemed to be struggling.  His mouth opened and closed once or twice, not a word coming out.  Dipper looked elated, but Wirt knew that was the crystals, and he felt sympathetic, maybe even empathetic, towards Dipper.  He knew what it was to be at a loss for words.  What were those words, though?  Dipper finally took a deep breath, and turned bright red.  _Wait, is he -?_   “I’ve always w-wanted to tell - I mean, I feel –” he sighed out a laugh, and dropped his hands to be placed firmly on his collar bone.  Now, those hands literally felt like they were touching his heart, and he was melting.  This was the moment.  What he always wanted to hear, but never thought he _would_ hear.  But sniffed, and dropped his face to Wirt’s shoulder, “I didn’t think this was going to be so hard . . .”

Wirt could feel his eyes growing moist.  _This is happening._ And of course he was nervous, but Dipper was getting the brunt of it.  If there was any time to be presumptive, it was now.  “I-I know . . .”

“You _know?_ ” Dipper squeaked, tearing his face away in embarrassed shock, “H-how?”

Wirt chuckled and blushed deeply, “Uh, Mabel told me . . . but if it m-makes you feel any better, I didn’t believe her until . . . yesterday”

Dipper froze, yet not in a bad way.  He stopped moving, but his eyes were searching his own.  Wirt wondered if Dipper got lost in them, the same way he did in those beautiful amber irises.  Did his boring dark eyes have the same effect?  Maybe they did.  How else could he explain the way Dipper’s breathing had changed, and how his hands had snaked back along his skin up to his cheeks again.

“Can I kiss you?” Dipper whispered.

Had his heart stopped?  Maybe so, but this was not when Wirt would find himself caring, “. . . please . . .”

“C-can I please kiss-”

“Just kiss me, Dip”

Dipper wasted no time.  There was no slow-motion easing into it, or prolonged stares where they just looked at each others lips, wondering what it would feel like.  No, because Dipper held his cheeks, and leaned in fairly quickly.  Wirt barely had time to close his eyes, and then it finally happened.  Their lips connected gently, and it was wonderful.  He had not expected it to be so tender based on how fast Dipper moved in, but it didn’t stay that way for long.  Wirt gasped when Dipper pressed into him, further locking their lips together, and allowing their bodies a comfortable contact.  Even when smooshed together, Wirt could still feel how soft Dipper was touching him, where the only hard bond was in their lips.  Then, Dipper tilted his head, slotting his mouth into his own, deepening the kiss, and prompting the first tiny moan from his throat.

Dipper smiled into the kiss, and his curled lips made his heart pound painfully.  Wirt had never removed his arms from around Dipper’s waist, and they wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon, for he was holding on even tighter.  His brain was switching between the sensation on his best friend’s lips, and griping his lower back, with tingling fingers.  The shiver that ran up his spine when Dipper kneaded the hair at the base of his neck was intense.

In reaction to the touch, Wirt accidentally squeezed at Dipper’s hip, causing Dipper to jerk forward slightly, letting out a very sexy mix of moan and chuckle.

_Oh.  Oh, my God.  I made him do that!_

_. . . How do I make him do it again?_

That’s where the kiss ended, though.  Dipper pulled back, and Wirt was far too close to whining for his liking.  But then he felt a pressure of his forehead, and opened his eyes slowly to see Dipper staring right back.  He decided that Dipper’s blown-out pupils was another new favourite of his.  They were so close, that every breath expanded his chest and brushed it against Dipper’s.  Their breath mingled between them, and their noses smooshed together in the middle.

“I’ve wanted to do that since ninth grade” Dipper whispered.

Disbelievingly, his eyebrows raised, and he asked, “ _Ninth_ Grade?”

Dipper nodded against his forehead, laughing quietly, triggering the butterflies once more, “Absolutely”

Oh, it was hard not to cry in complete and utter joy, but Wirt was determined not to ruin the moment.  He willed his tears not to fall, and leaned away to catch a breath.  As he pulled back, his favourite birthmark came into view.  That strange urge to touch those lines that connected the picture began to rise within him, and he couldn’t control himself.  He barely noticed his own arm, until his hand was hovering just in front of the Big Dipper.  Slowly, he placed his finger on the furthest spot, and began to trace.

Wirt spoke, as if in a trance, “My heart yearns for a place to call home, and I hope my heart will find yours, in the darkness of the night, and dance to a tune called love . . .”

At the last dot, he dropped his hand.

Dipper though, seemed like he was lost.  His eyes were wide, and he’d ceased all movement.  Wirt searched his face for any trace of comprehension.  Was he confused, and had Wirt caused it?  Maybe he shouldn’t have touched his birthmark . . .

Then, with no warning, Dipper leapt at him, again.  Wirt hadn’t realised they’d moved quite close to the wall of the hole until Dipper connected their lips painfully, and Wirt’s head smashed into said wall, loosening the dirt and causing it to crumble a bit, dowsing them in pebbles and small clumps of dirt and mud.

“Ow” Wirt moaned.

“Oh, shit!  Sorry!  Are you okay?” Dipper fretted, grabbing the sides of his head to hold it still.

Wirt couldn’t help but laugh.  _Stupid happiness crystals.  Stupid._  “I’m fine”

“Oh, speaking of which!” Wirt squeaked, as Dipper switched from holding his face to gripping both of his hands, and yanking them out of the water, “How are your hands”

Watching Dipper look at his hands so intently had him giddy, and he laughed again, “ _They’re_ fine” Suddenly, Dipper kissed each palm.  He did this while maintaining perfect eye contact with him, and Wirt swooned, “I mean, they’re even better now”

And one more thing to add to his list of favourites; Dipper’s laugh, as his face turned red.

_Oh, yeah.  It’s not going to be hard to write poetry, tonight._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY KISSED, BITCHES!  
> There was some foreshadowing, but it's okay if you didn't catch it.
> 
> Also, did you notice the dialogue I took right from the show?


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's another short one, but I swear this is the last.  
> This was just another one of those things that I wanted in the story, but it didn't fit in the last chapter of course, and I didn't want it in the next chapter ~

Saying Mabel had been shocked out of her pants was a bit of a stretch.  This was considering the facts that she had meandered up the shit-stairs from her bedroom in Pacifica’s panties and a baggy t-shirt very late that morning, and that Dipper had already told her his plans for the day before.  Of course, she knew her brother, and she hadn’t been prepared to find two of her favourite boys hunkered in the old armchair, nose to nose, hand in hand, and hip to hip, sleeping like babes in the wood.  So, yeah, pleasantly surprised was a better description, but shocked worked, too.

She didn’t remain shocked for too long, because she was distracted by the gentle smiles the boys were wearing.

_Finally . . ._

Seconds later, Pacifica walked in, looking like she hadn’t been sleeping just moment ago, with her gorgeous face, and non-dishevelled hair framing said gorgeous face.  Paz was also wearing _Mabel’s_ panties, and that made her all the more gorgeous to her.  “Hey, beautiful” Mabel said in a deep voice, swaying in her hips in an act that was supposed to be sultry.

“Mabel” Pacifica replied, continuing her approach, until she was close enough.  Mabel grabbed her face and planted one on her, relishing in Pacifica’s tiny squeak and blushing face.  Mabel let go with a loud ‘mwah’, and Paz stuttered, “S-stop doing that!  I-I wasn’t ready . . .”

“If you’re gonna date me, you need to be ready!” Mabel laughed while jabbing a thumb into her chest.

When she was done with that, Mabel grasped Pacifica’s hand and dragged her through the living room, until they were standing above the goobers in the chair.  “Look how happy they are!” she whisper-yelled, as she bounced on the spot, making the old carpeted floor creak in protest.  Pacifica took a second before she shared in Mabel’s enthusiasm (even if it wasn’t as much as Mabel), and smiled a bit.

“Yep,” she said, “Look at that loser”

“Oh, look!  They’re waking up!”

And they were, or at least, Dipper was.  Dipper stirred, and his smile got deeper, as he took a deep inhale through the nose.  Then he turned away a bit, just about to move into the makings of a stretch.

Mabel bit her lip, and leaned in real close.  “ABOUT TIME” she yelled, super satisfied at the way both Dipper and Wirt jolted and groaned.

Dipper reached out, eyes shut tight, and began tapping her face as he mumbled, “Where’s your snooze button?”

At the same time, Wirt whined, “Mabel, whhyyyyy?”

“Curb yer girlfriend, Paz” Dipper mumbled again, shifting to accommodate Wirt’s face, that he was trying to bury in her brother’s neck.

“She’s your sister” Pacifica brushed off.

 _Haha, you can never get my girlfriend to be on your side!_ “So, I need you glitter faces to tell me _everything_!”

Quickly, with cheeks blazing red, Dipper slapped a hand to his cheek and dragged it down.  He opened his eyes to glare at his palm, that had come away sparkling, giving away what they’d been up to that night.  Dipper sighed, “Make us breakfast and I’ll tell you _some_ details”

“No can do, Dip-Dop.  We’re completely out of food.  Or mostly . . . Best I can do is toast with no butter”

“Butter-less toast sounds good . . .” Wirt grumbled into Dipper’s neck, “I’m hungry”

Just then, someone knocked at the door.  And considering how late it was in the morning, _everybody_ knew who would be on the other side.  Nobody said anything, because letting the little boy on the other in was a given, someone just had to do it.

So, Mabel took on that responsibility.

She opened the door and smiled down at the boy, “Hey, Grego”

“Grego?  I like that!” Greg grinned, letting himself in, “Where’s Wirt?”

“In the living room”

Greg took off.  Mabel stayed behind.

This made it so much more hilarious when from the living room came the most excited scream she’d ever heard.

“ _ARE YOU GUYS BOYFRIENDS, NOW?_ ”

 


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY GEEZ I WISH I WERE DEAD
> 
> This ended up being less filler-y and more necessary to the plot-y. I dunno what happened.  
> Before you read, know that I actually HATE memes, but I thought it would be funny.

Thank God they had peanut butter in the house, because peanut butter covered burnt toast was a lot better than trying to fill their stomachs with plain, flavourless wheat slats.

But really, nothing could beat the filled feeling in his chest that came with holding Wirt’s hand unabashedly.  To finally clutch at his fingers in the open, letting whoever wanted to sneak a peek know that Dipper Pines was the lucky man who got hold Wirt’s hand, and that he wasn’t going to be letting go any time soon.  In fact, Dipper was currently holding Wirt’s hand on the table top, thoroughly enjoying the many eye-rolls from Mabel, and the giggly smile and awestruck look Greg was giving them.  _He looks so proud._

Man oh man, it truly felt like an elephant’s worth of weight had lifted off his shoulders last night.  And now that it was gone, Dipper had just a little too much eagerness to deal with.  One thing he was currently struggling with was that he wanted to crawl into Wirt’s lap and stay there forever.  He wanted to drag his lips across his collar bone and rest in the nest of Wirt’s arms.  He wanted to be cocooned in Wirt and everything that he was.

But seriously, Dipper could tell, just by being in constant connection with Wirt’s skin, even if just for the past few hours, there was a different type of happiness running laps in his tummy.  Jeez, he never thought he was ever going to have this, though.  What else was he expected to feel?

A tiny surge of that wonderful happiness called Dipper to action, and he squeezed Wirt’s hand under his, while he rubbed his thumb over the tendons, as he suppressed a giggle that he knew would sound _far_ too gay (not that that was a problem; he _was_ bisexual).  Wirt responded with a blush, and a shrinking of his shoulders into his neck, smiling into his chest and staring at the table.  Ah, he was too adorable!  How was he going to control himself?

Greg was still looking on, and Mabel had joined in on the starry-eyed staring, which Dipper caught onto, and prompted a questioning eyebrow lift in her direction.

_What are you looking at?_

“You know what this means, right?” Mabel giggled, motioning towards their entwined fingers laying on the table top.

“That . . . we’re dating?” Dipper scoffed in confusion.

“Double dates!  It means double dates!” she bounced.

“ _NO_ ” both Dipper and Pacifica cried.

A moment of silence, and then everyone laughed, all except Mabel, whom had begun to pout.  She crossed her arms and slid down in her chair until she could reach Dipper’s legs from under the table, and gave him a quick barefoot kick to the shin, to which he responded with a tiny ‘ow’.

“Come on, Mabes.  Don’t be such a brat . . .” Dipper mumbled, rubbing his leg with free hand over the spot that may or may not form a bruise (Dipper wasn’t an easy bruiser, but you never know).

“By the by” Pacifica started, looking as if she didn’t really care about his new relationship, “Your Uncle called yesterday” Dipper was sure he heard ‘interrupted us’ under her breath, but he was willing to let it slide.

“YEAH” Mabel squealed, immediately forgetting her earlier disdain, “He said Grunkle Ford will probably be able to come home in the next few days!  He’s doing better and the hospital is going to let them come back!”

“Really?!” he asked disbelievingly, leaning forward with excitement, “Awesome!”

“You get to meet that guy who made that healing serum!” Mabel clapped her hands rapidly.

“. . . Great”

“As if that’s something to be excited for, huh Wirt?” Greg laughed boisterously, kicking his legs back and forth under the table, creating enough momentum to shake the table slightly, “I’m kidding, though.  I wanna meet a mad scientist! Like in the movies!”

“Greg, he’s not mad” Wirt reprimanded.

“He shave’s his beard with fire” Dipper deadpanned, enjoying the morphing emotions across Wirt’s face.  He was starting to think he might be crazy himself, considering shocking Wirt was becoming a favourite past-time of his.  _Yeah, these are the thoughts of a crazy man._

Wirt gulped, then laughed awkwardly, “Um, should I be concerned?”

“Nah, he won’t hurt you, I promise”

“I was r-referring to the state of your mind.  Like, am I going to have to worry about you becoming a mad scientist when you’re older-”

“Hey!” Dipper began smacking Wirt’s shoulder, only slightly offended, but you know what; he was going to smack him anyway.  Smack after smack just had Wirt shying away slowly.  Dipper knew he wasn’t actually hurting him, but it was definitely fun to see Wirt’s face scrunched in enjoyment while his shoulders where hunched, trying to make the smacks less forceful.

“I was kidd – in – ing!  Stop, Dip, or you lose your privileges!”

Not even close to stopping, Dipper raised a brow in challenge, “What privileges are we talking about, here?”

“. . . The privilege of kissing me . . .?”

Immediately, Dipper stopped and put a hand over his heart, staring at Wirt with widened eyes, “You wouldn’t” _No, seriously, we just got together, please let me kiss you.  I’ve got four years to make up for._

As if Wirt could read his mind, he straightened his back and pursed his lips cockily, making sure that he got Dipper a look at his lips once, before saying; “I would”

“Ooohh” Greg sounded from across the table with a hand over his mouth in fake shock.

Oh, now it was on.  Wirt had managed to get Greg to make fun of his misfortune.  Well, he had something he knew Wirt hadn’t been able to resist since the moment they became friends.  _I’ll be kissing him in no time._ Dipper spun in his chair until his body was completely facing Wirt’s, causing Wirt to give him a warning side-glance.

“No”

Using a superpower Dipper had found out he possessed many years ago, he dropped his head slightly and looked up at Wirt through his lashes – and the cherry on top – he stuck out his bottom lip a bit.

“Don’t” Wirt whined.

 _Not working?_   Dipper took his gaze from his favourite chocolate-y eyes, and he _sniffled_.

He heard a groan, but he didn’t stop the charade until he felt Wirt kiss the corner of his mouth in the fasted peck to ever exist.

“Why?  I know you’re faking, and it _still_ gets me!” Wirt grumbled, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Dipper, that was pathetic” Pacifica said, like she hadn’t just insulted him.  Mabel cackled.

Totally outraged (not really), Dipper looked at everybody owlishly, one at a time, then yelled, “You’re all against me!  I came out to have a good time –”

Mabel laughed even louder.

.

They decided to play Monopoly (Pacifica opted out and watched) after everyone had eaten, and just remain in the kitchen.  Nobody bothered to shower; it was just one of those days.  In fact, Dipper and Wirt were still wearing yesterday’s clothes.  Although, they really should’ve changed their underwear, in hindsight. 

Regardless, everybody was dirty, and for some reason, this made the game seem a little more fun.

Mabel was taking her turn.  While this happened, Dipper continuously rubbed Wirt’s hand with his thumb.  Anytime it wasn’t his turn, he was doing something to Wirt.  Nothing inappropriate, just something.  Playing footsie under the table, even if it was hard with them sitting beside one another, or leaning his head on Wirt’s shoulder . . . dropping tiny kisses to his cheeks.  It was a little embarrassing, but Mabel had finally stopped teasing him about it, and replaced it with shooting him warm smiles every time he did something to Wirt.

The dice clattered across the table.  It was Greg’s turn now, but even as he rolled a six, Greg was staring at the two of them enjoying each other.

“So, now that you _finally_ decided to become boyfriends, will you guys take me on an adventure?” Greg pleaded, reaching across the table and knocking some game pieces’ _way_ out of place.

“You’re making it sound like you haven’t had any since you got here” Wirt laughed nervously.

“No, I mean, one with magic stuff!  I wanna see something new!” he smiled, fist-pumping the air.

“Um-”

“You wanna meet some gnomes, tomorrow?” Dipper offered in a sheepish manner, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yes!  Woohoo!”

Greg leapt up and began a celebratory dance around the kitchen, accidently taking the game board with him.  He paused for barely a second to utter a tiny unapologetic ‘oops’ before returning to his prancing.  It was fun to watch and made him feel good, but he wasn’t about to ignore the way the grip on his hand became stronger.  Dipper bumped his shoulder with Wirt’s, hoping to gain his attention, and when he did so, Dipper gave a reassuring smile.

“Is that tame enough for his first time?” he whispered, making sure Greg didn’t hear him.

Wirt bit his lip, and sighed shakily through his nose.  He already knew Wirt was a cautious person, and that he’d become very protective of Greg over the past few years.  Dipper also didn’t want to disappoint Greg; he loved the little nugget.  But, he didn’t want to step on Wirt’s toes, either.  Looking at Wirt currently, he was starting to think he’d failed in that prospect.  Wirt looked uneasy, and the lip biting only proved it further. 

“Yes, yup, gnomes are fine.  We’re going to do _just_ the gnomes, right?” Wirt said after a long time.

“If that’s what you want” Dipper mumbled.  Then, he couldn’t help himself when his head fell back to Wirt’s shoulder, letting out a wide yawn.

“Tired, bro-bro?” Mabel asked.

“I guess” Of course he was.  He’d been up all night with Wirt, even after they’d returned to the shack.  He was sure it had been around three in the morning before he squeezed onto the chair with Wirt for the rest of the night.  And honestly, no one was allowed to blame him.  Dipper had had the best night of his life, and he tried so hard to make it last forever.  He gave in only when Wirt couldn’t even register that he was kissing him.  Don’t get him wrong, it was fucking adorable to watch Wirt slur his words as if he was drunk through half lidded eyes, but he had gotten fairly tired as well, and cuddling was the perfect way to end their day.

“I haven’t seen you this tired since you made that deal with Bill, remember that?”

Dipper went ramrod straight and nearly head-butted Wirt in the process.

“Bill?” Wirt asked quietly, for Dipper’s ears only.

Completely nonchalant, Mabel continued for Dipper, “You remember.  Nobody could forget being thrown down a flight or stairs and possessed”

“MABEL” Dipper screeched at the same time Wirt cried, “POSSESSED?!”

Only then did Mabel seem to be aware of what she’d said.  She looked up at them, probably looking at Dipper’s crazy eyes.

He hadn’t told Wirt about Bill, and he hadn’t planned on doing so, ever.  Bill was something he really wanted to just forget, god, with every fiber of his being, he wanted to forget.  But this wasn’t entirely about forgetting him as it was about never bringing up this monster to Wirt.  He didn’t want Wirt to know the demon he selfishly made a deal with, when said demon had every power to squash him from the inside out.  Wirt worried about enough as it was, he didn’t need to know there was an omniscient demon triangle somewhere in the world.

But they hadn’t seen that isosceles bastard in six years.  Dipper had truly thought it was safe to never tell someone as important as Wirt, something as warped and nightmare inducing as Bill Cipher.  He’d only just escaped the dreams . . .

He still saw things, and he could only imagine they were monstrous visions Bill left in his mind as his triangle form was torn from Dipper’s soulless body.

He just didn’t want to relive it.

“I thought you told him” Mabel said.

“Well, I didn’t” he grit out.

“Dipper?” Wirt whispered urgently, squeezing the blood out of the hand of Dipper’s he was still holding.

“That sounds cool!  What’s that like?” Greg chipped in excitedly.

“ _Greg, that’s not cool!_ ”

Things were spiraling out of control at this point.  Everybody was either yelling or freaking out silently, Dipper being one of those people.  This was exactly why he didn’t want to talk about Bill.  Nothing good ever came out of talking about Bill, and that fact was only proved further by the screaming filling the room.

Dipper felt sick.

“Can we stop talking about Bill?” Dipper wasn’t sure he’d spoken loud enough for anyone to hear, but the following silence was answer enough.

Wirt’s silence, though, was not welcomed.  Dipper didn’t like it.  In any situation, hearing Wirt ramble and stutter was a comfort, not that Wirt knew that.  It told Dipper that he was rational and responsive, and even though erratic, the mere sound of his voice could settle Dipper’s emotions.  When people told him things along the lines of ‘if I’m quiet, that means I’m enraged’, it reminded him of how Wirt’s silence meant he was panicking horribly on the inside.  It was like a defense mechanism for Wirt.  Silence meant the worst of the worst; his mind was in overdrive.  Dipper _hated_ it.

He knew, though, this was his fault.

_Again_

“G-Greg, maybe you should go see your aunt for the rest of the day, y’know, to rest up for tomorrow?” Dipper mumbled.

Greg understood, he was a smart kid after all.

Greg hugged Wirt goodbye, and to Dipper’s surprise, he hugged him as well.

Pacifica made her leave, too.

And then there were three.

.

Hours later, there was two.

Mabel decided they needed to talk, and told Dipper she would go hang out with Candy and Grenda, to give them their much needed privacy.

It was a very long time before Wirt – of all people – dragged Dipper upstairs to the bedroom, silently and with purpose.  Dipper didn’t try to stop him.

He wasn’t going to deny that the moment he stepped into the bedroom in the attic, with it’s slanted roof and tiny single window, and limited artificial lighting provided by the lone functioning lightbulb, he felt trapped.

“Is this, like, our spot?” Wirt finally spoke.

“Huh?”

“Whenever we talk about something . . . we always end up back in here”

Dipper caught the hint, even though it was a horribly obvious hint that the blindest man could catch onto.  They were going to talk about Bill.  Again that stupid piece of galaxias shit wormed his way into his life, ruining literally everything.  And he wasn’t even present!  Now, Dipper resented that.

Wirt stood near the bed, looking as lost as Dipper had ever seen him.  Head hung low, Wirt’s eyes were trained on the most-interesting wooden floor.  Dipper felt his heart break.  He had to fix this.  So, he prepared himself, for excuses, for explanations, for apologies, he didn’t know, he was just ready.  Things had to be said, whether he wanted to say those things or not.  He owed Wirt, and that was that.

“T-this Bill guy – anything I should know?” Wirt sighed, “I mean, you don’t have to tell me anything, but . . . he _possessed_ you, a-and –”

“He’s just, uh, he’s just a demon” he responded.

“A demon that threw you down a flight of stairs, Dipper!” Wirt hissed, but with a sadness that was evident in his glistening eyes.  Not wet enough to shed a tear, but enough to bear a visible emotion.

“I made a mistake; it’s not like I knew he was going to hurt me” Dipper whispered past the lump in his throat that had just manifested itself.  _Don’t hate me for this, please . . ._

Dipper pleaded for his heart beat to return to his chest, rather than just below his throat, when Wirt turned away and ducked his head in what Dipper knew was resignation, or disappointment.  He could almost hear Wirt’s thoughts, spewing accusations of how dangerous he was, or how miserly he was; thinking only of what he’d gain, and making a deal before thinking of the consequences.  Wirt didn’t need someone like that in his life.

_He needs to know I regret my decisions that day._

“I made a deal with him, because I was desperate, and he took my body” Dipper sighed, moving across the floor until he could successfully pull Wirt into a hug and place his head in the crook of Wirt’s neck.  He breathed in that wonderful scent that was uniquely Wirt; clover shampoo and tea leaves.  Another sigh, and another swell of bliss through aroma.  “It’s not that big of a deal” _Except it is._

“. . . He could have killed you”

Dipper knitted his brows in slight confusion.  _You’re not mad at me?_

“But he didn’t.  Besides, nobody has seen him in years, he might not even be in Gravity Falls anymore”

“That’s reassuring” Wirt grumbled sarcastically into his hair.

“It . . . doesn’t really matter.  I’m not stupid enough to make that mistake again, and there aren’t many things here that I could make that mistake with, anyway” he pulled back and locked eyes with the chocolate orbs, hoping to covey some comfort.

“I-I know you probably don’t like it, b-but I get scared for you” Wirt took one of his hands, and cupped it to his chest.

The guilt was overwhelming, but so was the feeling of confusion.  Dipper didn’t understand why Wirt wasn’t mad at him, or telling him he was a crazy maniac or something.  He made a deal with a _demon_.  Something like that warranted some concern, and not about his safety.  If anything, Wirt should be freaking out, and worrying about his own safety, here.  Dipper was the idiot.

And yet, Wirt only had words for his security.

“Aren’t you mad at me?  Don’t you think I’m selfish and crazy?” _Why aren’t you pushing me away?_

“It’s clear you weren’t to blame.  You didn’t know”

Dipper hitched, then.  Wirt was a timid creature for the most part.  Yet here, while standing in the middle of the attic bedroom, holding him in a warm embrace, Wirt said this with a firm tone; an eloquent tone.  He did not falter, or waste any time.  His voice was deeper than Dipper was used to hearing, like this was something Wirt _had_ to say.  He was prepared to say these words.  Like these were the words he lived by.

But that didn’t really make sense.

“Promise you won’t do something like that again, though?” Wirt asked apprehensively, biting his lower lip.

“I promise.  I know a good thing when I see it, now” Wirt smiled gently at that, and Dipper watched as he went from tall and confident in his words, to shy once more.  And suddenly, Dipper found his eyes trailing down towards Wirt’s lips, overcome with a very deep desire to claim them right there and then.  _Help me forget_.  “Or in this case . . . when I kiss it”

Wirt’s breath hitched, and dipper couldn’t help but feel pride in that.  The anticipation pulled him in, until he watched Wirt close his eyes, leading him to do the same.  They touched, first nose pressed against the side of nose, then lip to lip.  Dipper tilted to the right, and Wirt did the same, giving themselves all the room to meld together.

The kiss was innocent for some time, then Dipper decided that wasn’t enough.  His arms flew up around to coil Wirt’s neck, to pull his down, hoping to convey his need, and to enjoy the feeling of Wirt’s hair tickling his arms.  The lip between his own warranted a good sucking.

Of course, things started to go south, literally.  Dipper’s neck began to ache, and he couldn’t imagine what it was like for Skyscraper-Wirt, with his neck bent forward.

“Stop being so tall” Dipper laughed against Wirt’s mouth while wrapping his arms tighter around Wirt’s neck.

“Stop being so short” Wirt replied, just before their lips met again in a soft peck.

Dipper pulled back slightly, returning to a point where they could look at each other fully, and did he ever.  The redness of Wirt’s cheeks and the swollen lips were like a trophy for his heart, bringing about the unsteady beat that Dipper was becoming accustomed to a lot more these past few days.  Ghosting over his skin was Wirt’s breath, escaping those lips, and enveloping his thoughts in an addictive haze.  Dipper tried to steady his mind, but it was reeling the longer they stood there.

 _So, maybe standing is the problem, here._   “There’s an easy solution” _To both issues._

Both hands on Wirt’s chest, Dipper pushed gently, guiding Wirt backwards until the backs of his knees collided with the edge of his bed, forcing them both into wonderful plummet onto the sheets.  Within seconds, Dipper reconnected their lips, now that they were equal on the horizontal, crawling up the bed to until he was longer ‘too short’.  The wonderful feeling of Wirt smiling into the kiss had him sinking into his best friend, deepening the touch of their lips.  Any more, and teeth would be touching.

The depth of the kiss was removed, when Wirt pushed Dipper back.  “I-I like this solution” he breathed, causing Dipper to swoon internally.

_You really don’t know how . . . attractive you are; what you do to me . . ._

Inch by inch, heat crawled up his body.  Dipper was only vaguely aware of the fact that his body had lowered, now sitting his weight on Wirt’s lap, one leg on each side.  But that didn’t matter right now, because his mouth was not currently attached to Wirt’s, and he needed to remedy that.

Thankfully, when Dipper leaned back in, Wirt was just as eager to recreate the bond.  Although, the connection was tender.  Just soft lips touching one another’s, unmoving, but full of meaning.  Wirt’s bottom lip sat perfectly between his; and Dipper knew this is where he wanted Wirt’s lips to always be.  He wondered in Wirt felt the same.

The answer came immediately when Wirt’s hands left his shoulders, and slid down his sides, to rest just above his hips.  The electricity he felt was staggering.  Good thing they were on the bed.  His toes began to tickle, and it was like a silent cue, leading Dipper to push into the kiss, tilting his head to the right, to allow himself to get as close as possible.  Their lips separated in a wet pop, only to come together once more within seconds.

He was getting hungry.

Hazily, he opened his eyes half-way, biting Wirt’s lip and pulling it with his teeth, eliciting a delicious moan from the body beneath.  Suddenly, almost in response to his bite, two thumbs and forefingers squeezed and dug into his skin at the hips.  He lurched forward, and decided this was all to familiar, but oh, he didn’t _care_.  Dipper was going to enjoy the way Wirt pinched, and kneaded his muffin top lovingly (or was it hungrily?).  It became hard to hold back the noise rising in his throat, and he wasn’t up for the challenge, it tumbled from his mouth with abandon.

“Sorry” Wirt chuckled in his ear, “I had to make sure that wasn’t just a one-time thing when I did it to you yesterday . . .”

_Oh my God . . ._

Then, a pressure in his jeans made itself known to his whirling mind.  A pressure that was sending him over, if the heaving in his lungs was any indication.  A pressure that wanted Wirt to know.

So, while licking his lips, Dipper pressed his lower region into Wirt’s, and waited until Wirt threw his head back, before leaning down and whispering, “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Wirt gulped, and before he could say anything, Dipper recaptured his mouth as he rocked his hips slowly.  Back and forth, Dipper groaned at the friction, jostling their intimate parts over and over.  He realised he was somewhat enjoying the tightness that came with being restricted inside of denim pants.

Earlier that week, a very detailed vision of Wirt’s naked body had come to his attention, and Dipper found himself painting that picture in his mind once more.  He remembered every shape and curve, and how beautiful he had thought Wirt was that day.  How amazing would it be to see him like that again, beneath him as he was now, panting and losing himself in the pleasure Dipper was all too happy to give.

He kept moving, and he realised what he was doing, rubbing their members like this, was something familiar.  _I did this in my fantasy . . ._

Eventually, he hit a point where he felt he’d won an award, for there was a hardness forming between Wirt’s legs, pressing into his own.  Every sound and movement Wirt made under him only made him want more.  What could he do to get more?  He needed to hear every sound Wirt could make.  He needed to feel the things that he made Wirt feel.  Every pant, and every moan – including his own – coupled with the trembles and the heat.

_I want it so bad . . ._

“D-Dipper-”

“Shh” Dipper moved around, until Wirt couldn’t kiss him anymore, lest he suffocate.

But Dipper was over the edge, and he couldn’t stop himself from lapping at Wirt’s lips, hoping for permission to enter.  He gasped when to his surprise, Wirt came to _him_ , taking him in so they could explore.  Tongue met tongue, in and out, and a twirl here and there.  He sighed into his mouth, as Wirt brought one hand to his neck, bringing him down further.  Finally, Dipper tasted Wirt, after what felt like an eternity, and he slowed the movement of his hips. 

Almost immediately, Dipper whined, missing the friction, despite the fact that he had been the one to cease the action.  He just couldn’t concentrate on moving, and drowning in Wirt’s kiss at the same time.

Dipper’s arm moved on it’s own.  Without severing the link of sensation and heart, he reached back to Wirt’s remaining hand, still gripping his hip like a lifeline, and removed it slowly.  He hadn’t noticed the way he was shaking until he fumbled with Wirt’s smooth (and oh, so talented) hand.  There was a better use for that hand, and Dipper pulled it along, desperately guiding it between their bodies, towards the spot between his legs.

_How did we get here?_

_Wait - I don’t care._

They never made it that far, though.

Without warning, the old attic door flew open and banged against the wall, effectively taking a sledge hammer to the moment, shattering it into teeny tiny pieces.

“Hey, Goobers!  I wanted to – _OMYGOSH_ ” Mabel had sauntered into the room, that had quickly become hot with their previous activities, and reeled back like she’d been slapped, covering her eyes.

“MABEL” Both he and Wirt ripped away from each other so quickly, Dipper was sure they could rival the fastest man alive, easily.  Wirt scrambled to the furthest corner, tearing up the sheets as he went, while Dipper performed a butt slide right to the edge of the bed, turning to Mabel at the same time, giving her the most I’m-going-to-fucking-kill-you look he could muster.

“MY VIRGIN EYES” she cried dramatically, taking off down the hall.

 _What are you even doing home?!_ “Is the concept of knocking lost on you?!” Dipper howled as he leapt off the bed, “You’re not even a _virgin_!”

Dipper slammed the door shut, actually shocked it hadn’t popped off the hinges with the force.  His hand shook on the door handle he had yet to let go of, not entirely sure if he was shaking in anger, or embarrassment.  Letting go was a challenge in and of itself.

When Dipper had finally been able to turn away from the door, he did so with his eyes glued to the floor, because God, how could he face Wirt?

_Holy fuck . . . I was grinding up on him!  I got him hard, and almost fucked him right here, right now, and **we haven’t even been dating more than a day!**_

_What.  The.  Fuck.   Is.  Wrong.  With.  Me?_

Wirt hadn’t said anything, and all of Dipper’s earlier feelings were quickly being replaced with a horrible nervousness.  A dread that he could feel in his tummy was definitely keeping his gaze downcast, and he almost couldn’t believe he hadn’t looked up to his best friend, the same man he just had the courage to practically dry-hump only a minute ago.  He needed to look up, but he really kept hoping Wirt would do it first.

 _One of us has to be brave_ , Dipper sighed.  He put his in turmoil aside, and looked up cautiously.  Wirt was scrunched against the far wall and slanted ceiling, knees tucked close to his chest, and a pillow under his nose, hiding his mouth and jaw.  Dipper wished with every fiber of his being, that Wirt was not totally repulsed behind that pillow.  Although, the way Wirt’s fingers clawed at the fabric, and how his eyes were looking at nothing – or rather, space – he’d say he definitely screwed up.  And Dipper believed it.  Sure, couples had sex, _but not this fast, God damnit!  What was I thinking?_

“S-sorry” Dipper mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck raw, “I didn’t – I mean, I shouldn’t have –”

Dipper stopped when Wirt muffled voice cut in.

“What?”

Wirt pulled his face out and shoved the pillow under his chin.  “Don’t be sorry . . .” he said, face so red that Dipper was sure it could be classified as a ‘never before seen’ colour.  “I-If Mabel hadn’t interrupted, I . . . would have let you keep going”

Dipper almost couldn’t comprehend what was being said to him.  Honestly, he was prepared for shock, or a bit of repulsion, maybe even confusion on Wirt’s part as to why he thought he could take (or be taken by) his best friend like that.  Instead, he was being told they would have gone all the way . . .

_But still, this is too early._

“I liked it . . . a lot”

 _Oh, hell_ “Wirt” Dipper squeaked, plopping down on the end of the bed, and crossing his legs for obvious reasons, “I-I’m actually super happy you f-feel this way, but-!”

“OH, SORRY” Wirt screwed his entire face back into the pillow within seconds, blushing like mad.

Silence fell between them, and it was awkward.  God, Dipper really just wanted to never have uncomfortable silence with Wirt ever again.  It just didn’t seem fair.  Especially now that they were finally dating.  They were finally looking at each other without worrying about what the other could be thinking.  They were finally touching with feeling, instead of shy bumps of the back of the hands when walking side by side.

No more hiding.

No more secrets . . .

“We’ve been together for less than twenty-four hours” Dipper said slowly, “And I spent four years pining for you.  _Pun intended_ ” Wirt laughed at that, and Dipper smiled, “We’ve known each other for four years, and I could have fucking told you . . . t-that I don’t just like you”

Dipper looked up to Wirt, scooting along the sheets, until he was sitting cross-legged in front on him.  Wirt hadn’t moved much, and Dipper took it upon himself to coax Wirt into meeting his gaze by squishing the pillow down, revealing his best friend’s beautiful face.  The evening sun pierced the dark room through the window, and also illuminated Wirt’s cheeks and glowed in his eyes; something he hadn’t noticed when they were caught up in their bodily sensations.

Everything felt so warm.

Inhale, exhale, “I’m in love with you”

When Dipper saw Wirt’s eyes widen like saucers and dart in his direction, he almost took it back.  The longer Wirt kept quiet, the more Dipper felt like he was going to puke.  He held back a fake laugh, and a ‘haha, just kidding’, because no, he wasn’t going to take this back.  He was in love with Wirt, and maybe they’d only started dating, but four years was a long time, and he was done.  He just wanted Wirt to know the truth.

Dipper gulped, suddenly losing his gumption, “Is that too fast?”

“N-no, but, um - oh gosh – well” Wirt warbled.

Then, surprising to Dipper, Wirt emerged from the corner, while tossing the pillow aside.  Dipper sat still, feeling his heart race, and finally burst, when Wirt kissed him gently.  Like earlier, there was no movement, just lips touching lips.  It was a quick peck that lasted two seconds at the most, but it was really all Dipper needed.

As Wirt pulled back, he said, “Y-you did say you’ve been waiting since ninth grade . . . so”

Dipper couldn’t help his wide-ass grin and the blush on his face, “We are going a little fast, though, no thanks to me.  So, we’ll start with kisses”

“Lots of kisses” Wirt corrected.

“Lots of kisses” he laughed.

They fell into a comfortable silence, for once.  Dipper couldn’t speak for Wirt, but he was definitely thinking to the future and all those kisses to come.  The silence was welcomed, because it was giving him time to breathe, and think about what they could be.  Especially now that they were together, a future together became more and more probable.

And he smiled.

“Um” Wirt squirmed a bit on the bed, smiling into the pillow, “. . . I’m . . . in love with you, too . . . yup.  I-It’s been a while for me, too.  Not as long as you, which I know you probably didn’t want to know, and I shouldn’t have mentioned it, I’m sorry.  I should really shut u-”

Dipper couldn’t help himself when Wirt had spoken those words.  Every word that floated between them from Wirt’s mouth ignited a warmth in Dipper’s belly, and he didn’t even try to stop himself from claiming Wirt’s lips again, that day.  Of course, this time around, it wasn’t as fervent – he’d learned his lesson – because there would be time for those kinds of kisses in the future.

It was just a little peck, that ended very quickly, but still held all of Dipper’s love in it.  “It really doesn’t matter how long” Dipper grinned.

“Okay” Wirt let out a breathy laugh, “W-was that the first of our ‘lots of kisses’?”

“Yeah” Dipper said, as he began to lean in slowly, “And here’s the second . . .”

He definitely didn’t feel trapped anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wanna remind you guys that Bill is not an important character to this story, and that I wrote this story as if Weirdmagedon never happened.  
> This is the end of any sexual content so, enjoy it while you can <3
> 
> Also, Dipper's real name has been announced anD I'M GOING TO USE IT IN THE STORY BEFORE IT FINISHES I'M SO HAPPY HIS NAME IS WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS FROM THE BEGINNING!


	21. Hiatus

I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm currently going through a rut where it's just not fun to write this story right now.  
So, sadly, this story is going on a hiatus. I'm not abandoning it. But I need to put it aside for a bit, a have to.

There's this other story I really want to write right now, and I want to add pictures to it, and I want to paint.

If you're at all interested, the story I want to write is for Voltron: Legendary Defender. It will be Shiro/Keith. I'm just mentioning this if you want to read my writing while you wait for this story to update.

I'm really sorry. See you next time.  
~Amavirra (Em)

**Author's Note:**

> THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS ARE SOMEWHAT SHORT I'M SORRY  
> Hope you enjoy.


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